LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
RIVERSIDE 


From  JONES' 
BOOK  STORE, 

IN  ANIELES,  CAL 


o 


Ip 
MEMORIALS 


OF 


CHRISTINE '  MAJOLIER  ALSOP. 

Hi 


COMPILED  BY 

MARTHA    BRAITHWAITE. 


"  How  does  my  soul  crave  that  I  may  be  replenished  with  this 
living  faith,  this  holy  love;  producing  a  readiness  to  do  all  the 
Lord's  commandments,  and  to  suffer  all  His  will." 

Extract  from  her  Journal,  1859. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

HENRY    LONGSTRETH, 

738  SANSOM  STREET. 
1882. 


A?  5  A3 


FERQUSON    BROS.    It   CO., 
PHILADELPHIA. 


PREFACE. 


T  N  attempting  to  give  a  record  of  the  life  of  our 
••-  late  beloved  Friend,  Christine  M.  Alsop,  I 
deeply  feel  that  it  is  only  as  the  Lord  is  pleased 
to  help  fne  that  I  can  faithfully  portray  a 
character  of  no  common  kind.  Many  years  her 
junior  in  age,  it  was  only  during  the  latter  years 
of  her  life,  that  I  was  privileged  with  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  her.  The  friendship  that  sub- 
sisted between  us,  was  founded  on  the  love  of  God 
in  Christ  our  Saviour.  It  was  the  same  in  joy  or 
in  sorrow,  a  deep,  rich,  full  tide  of  blessing.  My 
children  used,  for  many  years,  to  call  her  "grand 
mere" 

Her  own  Autobiography  furnishes  the  record  of 
her  early  life,  and  has  been  largely  used.  Letters, 
journals,  and  papers  supply  the  rest. 

From  so  large  a  mass  of  material  the  task  of 
selection  has  been  difficult.  I  have  aimed  at  con- 
densation; and  have  endeavoured  to  avoid  tha£ 
which  had  ceased  to  interest,  or  which  was  without 


iv  PREFACE. 

its  lesson.  In  the  details  of  her  many  journeyings, 
persons  rather  than  places  have  been  brought  the 
most  prominently  forward. 

If  the  little  volume  prove  of  interest  to  her  many 
friends ;  and  above  all  if  it  be  made  instrumental  in 
winning  any  precious  soul  to  the  love  of  that  Re- 
deemer in  whom  she  rejoiced  to  believe;  and  if 
any  of  the  Lofd's  dear  children  be  thereby  encour- 
aged to  follow  her  as  she  sought  to  follow  Christ,  I 
shall  feel  amply  repaid  for  the  labour  of  compilation. 

I  am  not  without  the  hope  that  the  retrospect  of 
her  life  and  labours  may  tend  to  awaken  and 
strengthen  an  interest  in  France,  and  in  the  pro- 
gress of  Gospel  truth  in  that  great  country,  so 
influential  for  good  or  for  evil  among  the  nations  of 
Europe. 

In  sending  the  memoir  to  the  press,  I  have  had 
the  help  of  my  beloved  husband,  who  has  kindly 
looked  over  what  was  already  prepared  and  made  a 
few  valuable  additions. 

MARTHA  BRAITHWAITE. 
312,  CAMDEN  ROAD,  LONDON. 
Fourth  Month,  1881. 


PREFACE.  v 

P.  S. — An  interesting  narrative,  illustrating  and  con- 
firming the  account  given  by  C.  M.  Alsop  in  her  Auto- 
biography (p.  3)  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  little 
company  in  the  South  of  France  first  became  acquainted 
with  English  Friends  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix.  It 
is  the  reprint  of  a  tract  published  at  Manchester  care- 
fully compiled  from  authentic  materials. 

M.B. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGB 

Preface *    .       .     iii 

CHAPTER  I. 

Birth — Connection  of  her  ancestors  and  family  with  the  early 
Protestants  of  France — French  prophets — The  Camisards 
— Anecdotes  of  persecution — Her  father  gives  up  the  law 
— Becomes  acquainted  with  Friends — Visits  London — 
Troubles  of  the  Revolution — His  Christian  kindness  and 
disinterestedness — He  becomes  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel 
amongst  Friends I 

CHAPTER  II. 

Visit  to  her  sister  at  Sauve — Earliest  remembrance  of  meetings 
of  Friends  at  Congenies — Remarkable  preservation  of 
Pierre  Rabinel — Declaration  of  Peace — Old  animosities 
renewed — Visits  from  Friends 19 

CHAPTER   III. 

First  visit  to  England — Home  at  William  Allen's — Impressions 
of  new  country — Friends,  Elizabeth  J.  Fry,  etc. — Plough 
Court — Learns  English — Attends  Yearly  Meeting — Re- 
turns to  France  in  company  with  her  father — Narrow 
Escape — Feelings  on  return  home 32 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Life  in  the  South  of  France — Second  visit  to  England — Inter- 
esting time  on  the  way  with  the  "  Beguins "  at  St. 
Etienne 50 

CHAPTER  V. 
Life  with  Mary  Hanbury — Her  illness  and  death     .         .         .     56 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Life    at    Stoke    Newington  —  Wilberforce — Clarkson  —  Open 

house  for  foreigners 65 

(vi) 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII.  PAGB 
William  Allen's  third  marriage — Change  in  his  establishment 
— Christine  Majolier  visits  her  parents,  and  afterwards  re- 
turns to  England — Closer  union  with  Friends — Journey 
on  the  Continent  with  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Robson — 
Visit  to  the  Queen  of  France  and  the  King  and  Queen  of 
Wurtemburg — Review  of  the  journey — Increased  settle- 
ment in  her  religious  views 73 

CHAPTER   VIII. 
Residence  at  Lindfield — Illness,  and  retum  to  France      .         .     88 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Residence  at  Nimes  in  Dr.  Pleindoux's  family — Description  of 

Nimes — State  of  Religion  in  France         .         .         .         -97 

CHAPTER   X. 

Visit  of  Elizabeth  Fry  to  the  South  of  France — Christine  Ma- 
jolier again  comes  to  England — Final  parting  with  Wil- 
liam Allen — Returns  to  Nimes — Death  of  her  pupil,  Adele 
Jalaguier 114 

CHAPTER   XI. 
Journey  on  the  Continent  with  Lindley  Murray  Hoag      .        .  122 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Her  marriage — "Acknowledgment"  as  a  Minister  of  the 
Gospel — Removal  from  Chelsea  and  settlement  at  Stoke 
Newington  .........  131 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

Accompanies  Eliza  P.  Gurney  in  a  visit  to  the  Vaudois  Valleys, 
and  other  parts  of  the  North  of  Italy,  and  to  Friends  in 
the  South  of  France — Interview  with  the  widow  of  the 
Duke  of  Orleans  at  Sestri,  and  with  the  Dowager  Empress  of 
Russia — Decease  of  Justine  Benezet — Accompanies  Eliza 
P.  Gurney  in  a  visit  to  Friends  of  Pyrmont  and  Minden — 
Interview  with  the  King  and  Queen,  and  his  sister,  the 
Dowager  Empress  of  Russia — Xahneebaweequay  .  .  138 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIV.  PAGB 

Quiet  reflections ;  Death  of  her  niece,  Marie  L.  Dixon — Remi- 
niscences by  her  niece,  Louisa  M.  Dixon  (now  Pierson),of 
her  residence  with  her  Aunt ;  and  of  her  Aunt's  associ- 
ation with  some  members  of  the  Royal  Family  .  .153 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Journey  on  the  Continent  with  John  Henry  Douglas — Distress 

in  the  East-end  of  London — Children's  Hospital      .         .  162 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Labours  in  France  after  the  Franco-German  War     .         .         .   177 

CHAPTER  XVIL 
Justine  Dalencourt — Sewing  Meeting  established  at  Boulogne- 

sur-Seine — Labours  in  France  continued  .        .        .  192 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Brief  reflections  on  her  labours  in  France — Her  life  at  Home 
— Her  Husband's  alarming  illness — Last  Journey  on  the 
Continent  of  Europe 210 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Decease  of  Robert  Alsop — Letters  and  Journal — Illness  and 
Death .  221 


MEMORIALS 

OF 

CHRISTINE  MAJOLIER  ALSOP. 


CHAPTER    I. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

Birth — Connection  of  her  ancestors  and  family  with  the  early 
Protestants  of  France — French  prophets — The  Camisards — 
Anecdotes  of  persecution — Her  father  gives  up  the  law — 
Becomes  acquainted  with  Friends — Visits  London — Troubles 
of  the  Revolution — His  Christian  kindness  and  disinterested- 
ness— He  becomes  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel  amongst  Friends. 

/CHRISTINE  MAJOLIER  (who,  by  her  subse- 
^~s  quent  marriage,  became  Christine  M.  Alsop) 
was  born  at  Congenies  in  the  Department  du  Card, 
in  the  South  of  France,  on  the  loth  of  the  Sixth 
Month,  1805.  Her  father,  Louis  Antoine  Majolier, 
was  a  native  of  Calvisson,  a  large  village,  situated 
two  miles  to  the  east  of  Congenies.  Her  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Marie  Brun,  was  born  at 
Fontanes,  a  little  village  almost  at  the  foot  of  the 
Cevennes. 

My  grandparents  (writes  C.  M.  Alsop  in  her  Auto- 
biography) were,  on  both  sides,  descended  from  persons 
who  were  known  by  the  name  of  the  French  Prophets, 


2  MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP. 

who  were  themselves  descended  from  the  Camisards  of 
the  Cevennes, — Protestants  who  had  never  embraced 
the  errors  of  Rome,  and  who  long  defended  them- 
selves against  the  attacks  of  Louis  XIV.,  after  the 
revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  in  1685,  and 
were  in  consequence  almost  entirely  exterminated  or 
driven  into  exile.  Those  who  escaped  remained  con- 
cealed in  the  fastnesses  of  the  rocky  districts  in  which 
they  were  born.  The  sufferings  they  had  undergone, 
the  remarkable  deliverances  they  had  experienced,  the 
wrongs  they  had  endured,  all  tended  to  foster  the 
spirit  of  enthusiasm,  so  natural  to  a  warm-hearted 
people,  living  in  a  tract  of  country  so  romantic,  and  in 
a  climate  so  genial.  They  met  in  small  companies  in 
retired  dwellings,  or  in  caverns  in  the  rocks,  for  divine 
worship ;  and  the  rocks  often  re-echoed  the  sound  of 
their  psalm-singing  without  its  being  possible  for  their 
pursuers  to  find  them ;  one  person  being  generally  on 
the  watch  on  some  eminence  to  warn  the  others  of 
the  near  approach  of  the  enemy,  who,  on  their  arrival 
on  the  spot,  found  all  still,  and  were  unable  to  find  the 
objects  of  their  search.  The  relation  of  the  marvellous 
escapes,  and  other  wonderful  stories  of  these  moun- 
taineers amongst  whom  my  ancestors  lived,  were  the 
evening  pastimes  of  my  childhood.  With  what  in- 
terest have  I  listened  to  the  tales,  so  often  repeated, 
which  my  dear  mother  would  relate  to  us  in  the  winter 
evenings,  how  their  meetings  were  sometimes  broken 
up  by  those  assembled  hearing  extraordinary  sounds 
like  the  clanking  of  arms  in  the  air  over  their  heads, 
while  the  enemy  were  at  a  sufficient  distance  to  allow 
them  all  to  disperse;  how  young  children  were  made 


FRENCH  "PROPHETS: 


the  instruments  not  only  of  warning  those  assembled 
of  the  approach  of  their  pursuers,  but  also  of  encou- 
raging them  to  trust  in  the  invincible  arm  of  "  the 
Eternal"  ;  or  how  some  found  safety  in  lofts  and  stables 
where  the  eyes  of  the  soldiers,  who  were  in  search  of 
them,  were  so  holden  that  they  could  not  see  them. 

The  preachers  among  these  people,  who  were  called 
the  Prophets,  used  to  declaim  against  a  hireling 
ministry  and  the  ordinances  so  called,  against  every 
kind  of  oppression,  and  pronounced  woes  upon  their 
oppressors,  and  all  those  who  did  evil.  One  story  in 
particular  we  delighted  to  hear.  One  of  these  Pro- 
phets, whose  name  was  Auziere,  used  often  to  go  to 
the  house  of  one  of  our  relatives  to  hold  meetings. 
He  kept  his  store  of  written  discourses  in  a  box, 
which  was  hidden  in  the  hay-loft.  Some  of  these 
discourses  still  exist,  and  are  in  the  possession  of  my 
cousin,  Samuel  Brun ;  they  are  curious,  very  neatly 
written,  but  they  do  not  contain  much  Gospel  truth ; 
they  are  chiefly  denunciations  against  the  ungodly, 
and  encouragements  to  hold  fast  in  the  faith.  This 
poor  man,  being  pursued  on  account  of  his  writings  and 
preaching,  often  took  refuge  at  Fontanes,  and  when  the 
soldiers  were  near  he  used  to  hide  himself  in  the  loft 
together  with  his  papers.  On  one  occasion,  the  house 
being  about  to  be  searched,  he  effected  his  escape  and 
went  into  the  neighbouring  wood;  he  had  no  sooner 
gone  than  he  remembered  the  writings  in  the  old  box, 
and  fearing  lest  they  should  bring  the  persons  who 
had  so  generously  protected  him  into  trouble,  he  fell 
on  his  knees  under  a  tree  and  prayed  fervently  that 
they  might  not  be  found,  or,  if  found,  he  prayed  that 


4  MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P. 

\ 

the  eyes  of  those  who  discovered  them  should  be  so 
holden  that  they  might  not  be  able  to  read  them ;  for 
he  thought  that  he  had  been  very  cowardly  to  escape, 
and  thus  endanger  the  safety  of  his  benevolent  host. 
His  prayer  was  answered ;  for  when  the  soldiers  went 
into  the  loft  and  searched  amongst  the  hay  for  the 
man,  they  found  the  box  of  manuscripts,  and,  thrusting 
their  spears  into  them  and  tossing  them  about,  they 
said,  "  Here  is  plenty  of  paper  prepared  for  writing, 
but  there  is  nothing  written,"  and  they  left  the  house 
without  doing  any  harm.  I  can  never  forget  the  so- 
lemnity with  which  my  dear  mother  related  this  story, 
and  the  impression  it  made  on  my  mind  when  I  was  a 
child,  of  the  power  of  the  Almighty,  and  of  His  good- 
ness displayed  by  the  care  He  takes  in  time  of  danger 
of  those  who  love  Him.  My  father  and  mother's 
parents  belonged  to  a  sect  which  had  sprung  from 
the  "  Prophets."  Less  visionary  than  these,  though 
holding  some  of  their  views,  and  more  spiritually- 
minded  than  the  Protestants  who  surrounded  them, 
they  had  adopted  principles  as  to  the  spirituality  of 
the  Christian  dispensation,  ministry,  and  worship,  very 
similar  to  those  of  Friends,  before  they  knew  of  the 
existence  of  such  a  religious  body.  They  met  in 
silence  to  worship  God  and  waited  for  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  before  they  expressed  anything  in 
their  assemblies  ;  and  they  considered  that  as  the  gift 
of  the  ministry  is  freely  received  it  should  be  freely 
exercised.  Contrary  to  the  practice  of  their  forefathers, 
who  had  so  desperately  defended  themselves  against 
the  armies  of  Louis  XIV.  and  XV.,  they  held  the 
unlawfulness  of  war. 


LOUIS  ANTOINE  MAJOL1ER. 


By  an  advertisement  which  appeared  in  the  Paris 
papers,  February  24th,  1785,  respecting  the  restitution 
of  some  prize  property  by  a  Friend  named  Edward 
Long  Fox,  they  became  acquainted  with  the  existence 
of  the  Society  of  Friends  in  England.  They  wrote 
to  Edward  L.  Fox  a  letter  signed  by  five  out  of  their 
number,  of  whom  my  dear  father  was  one ;  he  was  then 
about  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Thus  began  the  inter- 
course- which,  except  the  interruption  occasioned  by 
the  long  war,  has  continued  ever  since.  During  a 
short  interval  of  quiet  at  the  Peace  of  Amiens  even 
this  disastrous  period  was  availed  of,  and  one  of  their 
number,  a  poor  illiterate  man  of  Congenies,  named 
Paul  Codognan,  was  sent  to  England  to  print  the 
writings  of  Auziere ;  but  his  ignorance  of  the  English 
language,  and  I  might  say  of  the  French,  for  he  spoke 
the  patois  of  the  district,  rendered  this  visit  of  little 
use.  However,  a  few  books  were  given  to  him,  which 
he  concealed  on  his  person,  and  he  returned  to  Con- 
genies, having  performed  the  journey,  I  believe,  chiefly 
on  foot,  a  distance  of  about  sixteen  hundred  miles. 

My  dear  father  was  then  quite  a  young  man.  An 
attachment  to  the  views  of  Christian  doctrine  held  by 
this  little  society  had  inclined  him  to  give  up  the  pro- 
fession for  which  he  was  educated,  that  of  the  law, 
which,  in  the  state  of  affairs  at  that  period,  he  thought 
he  could  not  follow  without  compromising  his  prin- 
ciples, or  at  least  without  having  his  attention  diverted 
from  those  things  which  are  of  greater  importance 
than  the  acquisition  of  worldly  honours  and  posses- 
sions. As  he  was  an  only  son,  his  parents,  though  not 
rich,  had  been  able  to  give  him  a  good  education,  far 


6  MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP. 

beyond  those  about  him,  and  he  had  been  some  years 
with  a  notaire  of  considerable  reputation  and  great 
respectability  at  St.  Ambroix.  This  gentleman  had 
three  daughters  but  no  son,  and  he  had  frequently 
delicately  hinted  to  my  father,  that  he  would  leave  him 
his  business,  if  he  married  one  of  his  daughters,  who 
were  well  brought  up ;  two  of  them  being  about  my 
father's  age,  and  very  pleasing ;  but,  to  his  great  sur- 
prise, my  father  informed  him  that  he  thought  it  right 
to  leave  him  for  the  reason  I  have  mentioned.  His 
kind  patron,  although  unable  to  understand  his  motives, 
respected  his  intentions,  and  they  parted  on  very 
friendly  terms  Soon  after  this  my  dear  father  married 
Marie  Brun,  of  Fontanes,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Marie  Brun,  who.  were  amongst  the  most  promi- 
nent of  the  new  sect.  They  first  settled  at  Calvisson, 
which  was  the  most  central  place  for  the  meetings, 
which  were  then  held  somewhat  after  the  manner  of 
Friends,  and  were  numerously  attended  by  persons 
who  lived  in  the  neighbouring  villages ;  they  met  in 
private  houses.  There  was  also  a  meeting  held  at 
St.  Gilles,  and  they  had  many  ministers  amongst  them, 
both  men  and  women. 

On  his  marriage,  my  father  took  his  wife  to  his 
parents'  home,  where  he  learnt  weaving,  to  maintain 
his  family — thus  evincing  his  willingness  to  give  up 
what  he  thought  was  required  of  him  by  his  divine 
Master.  But  he  had  many  difficulties  to  contend  with, 
particularly  on  account  of  the  strange  notions  and 
conduct  of  many  of  those  with  whom  he  was  in  pro- 
fession ;  and  I  have  heard  him  say  that  he  had  almost 
given  up  all  hope  of  being  of  any  use  to  his  fellow- 


FIRST  VISIT  OF  FKZEXDS. 


professors,  when  some  English  and  American  Friends 
came  to  visit  them  in  the  year  1788.  These  were 
George  and  Sarah  Dillwyn,  Robert  and  Sarah  Grubb, 
Mary  Dudley,  Ady  Bellamy,  and  John  Eliot.  Mary 
Dudley  thus  notices  the  first  meeting  they  attended 
at  Congenies,  25th  of  Fifth  Month,  1788: — "The 
meeting  this  morning  was  attended  by  between  eighty 
and  ninety  persons.  Soon  after  sitting  down,  several 
of  them  appeared  strongly  agitated,  and  no  less 
than  five  spoke,  one  after  another,  in  testimony 
or  supplication,  all  sitting,  except  one  man,  who 
stood  up  and  expressed  a  little  in  humility  and 
tenderness. ' '  This  was,  I  suppose,  Pierre  Rabinel ; 
and  on  the  4th  of  Sixth  Month  she  says: — "Since 
the  26th  ult.,  we  have  sat  with  twelve  families  in  this 
village — one  at  Fontanes,  six  miles  distant ;  two  at 
Quissac,  nine  miles  further ;  and  two  at  Calvisson,  one 
and  a-half  miles  from  hence.  At  this  last-mentioned 
place  resides  Louis  Majolier,  who  has  been  our  atten- 
tive companion  in  the  family  sittings,  and  at 
our  lodging,  since  we  first  came ;  he  is  a  sensible, 
intelligent  young  man,  evidently  under  the  tendering 
visitation  of  truth,  and  humbly  desirous  of  right 
instruction."  Mary  Dudley  thus  describes  the  little 
company  at  that  time  : — "  Their  appearance,  manner 
of  behaviour,  &c.,  are  certainly  such  as  bear  little 
resemblance  to  our  Society;  but  the  honest  simplicity 
there  is  among  them,  the  apparent  consciousness  of 
their  deficiencies,  and  tenderness  of  spirit,  confirm  our 
hope  of  a  clearer  prospect  opening  in  due  season." 
Even  then  they  held  meetings  for  discipline ;  for  Mary 
Dudley  remarks: — "In  the  afternoon  they  held  their 


8  MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP. 

Monthly  Meeting,  the  business  whereof  is  only  the 
care  of  their  poor,  and  oversight  of  each  other's  moral 
conduct;  but  our  men  friends,  who  understand  the 
language,  observed  that  their  method  far  exceeded 
their  expectations." 

It  appears  from  Mary  Dudley's  account  that  they 
held  their  meetings  with  the  outer  doors  locked.  Some 
time  after  the  return  of  these  Friends  to  England, 
my  dear  father  visited  that  country  and  became  better 
acquainted  with  the  principles  and  discipline  of  Friends 
there,  and  from  that  time  felt  himself  called  to  the 
ministry,  and  he  also  devoted  himself  to  the  education 
of  the  children  of  his  fellow-professors.  He  opened  a 
school  at  Congenies,  where  he  came  to  reside,  as  that 
village  was  the  centre  of  the  rising  Society;  but  his 
task  was  a  difficult  one.  There  were  many  errors  to 
be  eradicated  among  those  with  whom  he  felt  called 
to  labour.  He  was  often  discouraged ;  but,  to  use  his 
own  expression,  an  irresistible  power  impelled  him, 
and  he  received  strength  to  persevere ;  and  although 
young  at  that  time  he  was  the  instrument  of  a  favour- 
able change  amongst  the  Friends — being  greatly 
helped  by  his  correspondence  with  the  Friends  in 
England,  who  also  partly  supported  his  school.  He 
was  thus  employed  when  the  troubles  of  the  Revolution 
totally  changed  the  face  of  things;  the  school  was 
suspended,  and  they  were  no  longer  permitted  to  meet 
for  worship.  He  had  then  to  suffer  from  privations  of 
all  kinds ;  he  saw  himself  frequently  without  the 
means  of  supplying  the  wants  of  his  increasing  family, 
but  he  always  acted  with  the  greatest  disinterested- 
ness ;  still  thinking  of  .those  who  were  worse  off  than 


TROUBLES  OF  THE  REVOLUTION.  9 

himself,  and  contributing  to  their  relief  by  dividing 
with  them  the  little  that  his  great  industry  procured 
him.  Among  the  many  circumstances  which  largely 
called  forth  the  deep  sympathy  of  my  parents,  and 
which  I  have  often  heard  them  relate,  of  this  disastrous 
period,  I  must  mention  one  of  great  interest.  The 
notaire  at  St.  Ambroix,  with  whom  my  father  had 
formerly  studied,  being  a  suspected  aristocrate,  though 
an  honest,  respectable  man,  was,  under  some  slight 
pretext,  arrested,  taken  to  Paris,  and  his  property  con- 
fiscated ;  his  poor  wife  and  three  daughters  followed 
him  thither  on  foot,  and  had  the  inexpressible  anguish 
of  witnessing  his  public  execution.  Their  emotion 
at  the  spectacle  betrayed  them ;  they  were  seized, 
reconducted  to  the  South,  and  imprisoned  in  the 
tower  of  the  Castle  of  Sommieres,  about  three  miles 
from  Congenies.  The  youngest  daughter  was  a  mere 
child,  so  she  was  allowed  to  go  in  and  out  of  the 
prison ;  they  had  thus  the  means  of  making  their 
situation  known  to  my  father,  and  he  alleviated  the 
trials  of  their  position  as  much  as  lay  in  his  power. 
Many  months  were  these  delicate  women,  well  brought 
up,  and  accustomed  to  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life, 
kept  in  this  prison,  with  the  worst  accommodation, 
and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  assistance  of  their  friends, 
with  scarcely  a  sufficiency  of  the  coarsest  food ;  for, 
as  it  was  a  time  of  great  scarcity,  those  who  were 
imprisoned  were  kept  on  very  scanty  fare. 

When   the   storm  began  to  subside,  and  they  were 

set  at  liberty,  they  had  only  the  clothes  with  which 

they  had  entered  the  prison,  tattered  with  wear,  and 

no  home  to  go  to ;  their  once  comfortable  home  having 

B 


10         MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP. 

been  ransacked,  and  all  they  had  possessed  being  now 
in  the  possession  of  others.  By  that  time  my  dear 
father  had  been  able  to  build  himself  a  small  house,  con- 
sisting of  four  rooms  and  some  outbuildings ;  but,  with 
an  increasing  family  he  was  struggling  amidst  many 
difficulties ;  yet  his  grateful  heart  could  not  bear  to  leave 
his  former  kind  mistress  (now  a  helpless  widow  with 
her  fatherless  children)  unbefriended.  He  generously 
offered  her  one  of  his  three  rooms,  that  they  might  share 
equally  with  his  family  until  means  should  be  devised 
for  their  help.  As  they  were  in  a  state  of  such  destitu- 
tion that  they  could  not  go  to  Nimes  to  procure  work, 
my  father  went  himself  and  obtained  for  them,  from 
houses  and  persons  that  he  knew,  muslin  embroidery, 
at  which  they  were  e'xpert,  and  by  great  industry  they 
were  able  in  a  short  time  to  earn  enough  to  buy  cloth- 
ing and  partly  to  support  themselves.  They  lived  in  our 
family,  until,  by  their  own  earnings  and  the  help  of  their 
friends,  they  were  able  to  furnish  an  apartment  and 
open  a  school  for  girls  at  Nimes,  where  they  main- 
tained themselves  respectably  for  many  years.  The 
mother  retained  a  very  warm  affection  for  my  father 
to  the  day  of  her  death,  and  the  eldest  daughter,  who 
as  I  write  is  still  living,  can  scarcely  speak  of  him 
without  tears.  They  were  Roman  Catholics,  but  she 
told  me  when  I  last  saw  her,  that  the  thought  of  my 
dear  father  made  her  disbelieve  one  of  the  doctrines 
of  her  Church  ("  hors  de  1'Eglise  point  de  salut"); 
he  had  taught  her  both  by  example  and  precept  to 
value  the  Bible. 

Although  during  this  time  of  trial  and  difficulty  my 
father  could  not  derive  from  England  the  help  which 


WILLIAM  SA  VER  Y  AT  CONGENIES.  1 1 

he  so  much  needed  for  carrying  on  the  school,  yet  he 
and  those  about  him  persevered  in  their  attachment 
to  and  profession  of  the  principles  they  had  adopted, 
and  as  soon  as  the  horrors  of  the  Revolution  were  over 
they  resumed  their  meetings  and  reopened  the  school. 
In  the  year  1797  they  received  a  visit  from  William 
Savery  and  David  Sands  from  America,  who  were 
allowed  to  travel  in  France  on  the  ground  of  their 
being  Americans. 

William  Savery  thus  describes  his  arrival  at  Con- 
genies,  i3th  of  Third  Month,  1797: — "We  hired  a 
voiture  at  Nimes  to  take  us  to  Congenies,  about  three 
and  a-half  leagues.  The  country  between  Nimes  and 
Congenies,  though  sometimes  mountainous,  is  fine; 
the  people  seemed  pleased  at  seeing  us,  and  imme- 
diately judged  we  were  Friends,  having  seen  those 
who  were  here  eight  or  nine  years  ago.  We  went 
to  Louis  Majolier's  to  lodge,  and,  several  of  the  Friends 
being  there,  they  received  us  with  strong  marks  of 
affection  and  joy." 

My  father  had  by  this  time  enlarged  his  house;  it 
contained  two  large  rooms,  besides  the  part  occupied 
by  his  family;  one  was  used  as  a  schoolroom  and 
place  of  meeting,  and  the  room  over  it  was  a  bedroom 
for  the  boys  who  boarded  in  the  house.  It  appears 
that  there  were  at  Congenies,  at  the  time  of  William 
Savery's  visit,  seventeen  families  of  those  professing 
with  Friends,  and  he  describes  the  aspect  of  things 
pretty  rrwch  as  they  were  when  I  was  a  child.  The 
meetings  were  then  held  in  the  large  room  I  have 
mentioned,  which  we  called  "/a  Salle ;"  it  had  a 
separate  entrance  to  it  from  the  terrace  raised  from 


12         MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP. 

the  road,  but  with  no  wall  as  it  is  now.  The  room 
was  used  as  a  schoolroom  when  I  was  about  nine  or 
ten  years  old ;  but  there  must  have  been  some  inter- 
ruption, for  I  remember  that  the  first  school  I  attended 
was-  one  held  by  an  old  woman,  who  was  cunning 
enough  to  have  her  two  goats  in  the  schoolroom  at 
the  hour  of  our  lunch ;  we  of  course  fed  them,  and  thus 
returned  home  hungry,  to  the  surprise  of  our  parents, 
who  thought  they  had  abundantly  supplied  us  with 
food. 

As  a  maintenance  for  his  family,  my  father  accepted 
employment  as  a  land  surveyor  in  the  new  taxation 
directed  by  Bonaparte,  and  in  the  parcelling  out  of  the 
confiscated  estates  of  the  nobility.  He  had  then  a 
very  favourable  opportunity  for  enriching  himself,  as 
many  did,  who  worked  with  him ;  but  he  conscien- 
tiously objected  to  buy  any  land  for  himself,  except 
one  field  opposite  our  house,  for  which  he  paid  the 
full  value.  Always  bent  on  improving  the  condition  of 
those  by  whom  he  was  surrounded,  he  was  eminently 
useful  among  them,  both  by  pecuniary  assistance 
(often  beyond  the  bounds  of  prudence)  and  by  adopting 
and  encouraging  improvements  in  agriculture.  He  was 
the  means  of  introducing  the  culture  of  the  potato  into 
that  part  of  the  country. 

This  was  of  incalculable  benefit  at  a  time  that  corn 
was  so  dear  that  it  was  quite  unsafe  to  keep  any  con- 
siderable quantity  in  the  house,  for  fear  of  having  it 
stolen.  I  well  remember  the  heap  of  potatoes  in 
the  large  room  over  "la  Salle"  which  was  chiefly 
used  at  that  time  for  such  things;  and  to  which  I  was 
often  sent,  when  a  very  little  girl,  to  fill  a  small  basket 


l8u.]  HER  PARENTS  KINDNESS  TO  SUFFERERS.    13 

to  give  to  some  person  or  other,  who  would  have  been 
ashamed  to  beg,  but  who  nevertheless  received  this 
little  help  with  gratitude,  and  carried  the  treasure 
home  carefully  hid  from  view.*  One  year,  it  might 
be  1811,  as  that  was  a  year  of  greater  scarcity  than 
even  the  others — my  father  had  sown  the  field  oppo- 
site the  house  (which  still  bears  the  name  of  "la 
terre  de  Clastre")  with  buckwheat.  The  crop  was 
unusually  abundant,  and  it  proved  the  means  of  re- 
lieving many  of  the  poorer  inhabitants  of  the  village. 
I  have  now  clearly  before  my  memory  the  little  brown 
loaves  as  they  were  brought  home  on  a  donkey's  back, 
in  the  long  trough  used  in  the  place  to  take  the 
dough  to  the  bakehouse  and  bring  back  the  bread, 
followed  by  half-a-dozen  or  more  women  and  children 
coming  for  their  portion.  I  remember  how  sorrow- 
fully my  dear  mother  turned  the  poor  things  away 
when  the  weekly  baking  was  exhausted.  I  have  the 
recollection  of  the  effects  only  of  the  Revolution,  and 
of  the  sad  tales  which  my  mother  used  to  relate  to 
us  of  what  she  had  witnessed.  Of  the  calamities  of 
war  I  have  a  clear  remembrance,  and  though  it  was 
never  my  lot  to  be  near  the  seat  of  war,  we  saw 

*  It  is  of  this  time  of  Christine  Majolier's  life  that  one  of  her 
sisters  writes : — "From  a  very  tender  age  she  manifested  a  desire 
to  contribute  to  the  welfare  of  others.  How  often  between  school 
hours  might  we  search  in  vain  in  the  village  for  the  happy  fair- 
haired  child,  thinking  to  find  her  at  play,  when  she  was  all  the 
while  busy  doing  some  little  service  of  love  for  her  neighbours ! 
Thus  the  finger  of  God  marked  her  out  from  her  early  years 
as  one  who  should  scatter  widely  around  her  the  seeds  of  that 
kindness  which  makes  life  bright  and  beautiful." 


14        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1811. 

at  different  times  a  great  number  of  prisoners,  and 
one  day,  in  a  deep  snow,  1,800  passed  by  our  house, 
and  many  of  them  were  relieved,  the  large  room  over 
the  meeting-place  accommodating,  for  the  night,  many 
who  were  foot-sore;  and  as  long  as  memory  lasts,  I 
shall  not  lose  the  impression  of  sympathy  which  my 
childish  heart  often  felt  with  the  mothers  who  were 
obliged  to  part  with'  their  sons  for  the  conscription, 
particularly  the  levy  en  masse  of  1811,  when  boys  of 
sixteen  and  upwards  were  torn  from  the  parental  roof, 
with  almost  the  certainty  that  they  would  never 
return.  Congenies  being  on  the  high  road  from 
several  towns  and  villages  to  Nimes,  I  have  often 
witnessed  the  anguish  of  the  poor  disconsolate  rela- 
tives, who  accompanied  their  children  as  far  as  our 
house,  which  stood  at  the  end  of  the  village,  and 
there  parted  never  to  meet  again.  My  dear  mother 
used  often  to  invite  these  poor  creatures  into  our 
home  to  endeavour  to  soothe  them,  but  it  may 
truly  be  said  that,  "they  would  not  be  comforted;" 
and  what  has  fixed  itself  the  most  in  my  memory  are 
the  screams,  and  the  wringing  of  hands,  which  I  have 
often  witnessed,  and  which  gave  to  my  young  and 
warm  heart  a  thorough  hatred  of  war  and  Napoleon 
(whose  name  I  then  understood  to  be  the  same  as 
Apollyon,  whose  picture  I  had  seen  in  a  French  trans- 
lation of  "Pilgrim's  Progress").  From  what  I  have 
known  of  the  sorrow  which  is  almost  universally 
felt  by  parents  when  their  children  are  drawn  for  sol- 
diers, I  feel  persuaded  that  the  French  are  not  the 
war-loving  people  that  they  are  supposed  to  be.  In 
general  before  the  time  of  the  conscription  arrives,  and 


iSii.]          THE  CONSCRIPTION  IN  FRANCE.  15 

this  is  when  a  young  man  attains  his  twenty-first  year, 
no  pains  are  spared  by  the  parents  to  be  in  a  position 
to  bring  forward  everything  that  may  procure  an 
exemption  from  service,  should  the  individual  draw  a 
number  that  would  expose  him  to  it ;  and  when,  as  it 
mostly  happens,  there  is  no  hope  from  this  quarter, 
the  parents  are  willing,  if  at  all  able,  to  pay  large 
sums  of  money  to  ensure  their  sons  from  the  liability ; 
and  I  have  known  many  who  have  had  several  sons; 
who  have  mortgaged  their  little  estates  to  so  great 
an  extent  as  to  be  irrecoverably  poor  to  the  end  of 
their  lives.  During  the  time  of  war  many  com- 
paratively rich  families  were  quite  ruined,  to  pay 
substitutes  for  their  sons,  and  even  now,  in  time 
of  peace,  it  costs  about  .^30  to  ensure ;  but  if  a 
young  man  takes  his  chance  and  draws  his  lot  with- 
out ensuring,  he  will  have  to  pay  more  than  ^100  for 
a  substitute. 

When  I  was  a  very  little  girl,  perhaps  six  or  eight 
years  of  age,  a  circumstance  occurred  in  our  neigh- 
bourhood which  greatly  influenced  my  after-judgment 
on  the  subject  of  the  punishment  of  death  for  murder. 
A  young  man  named  Bastide,  who  had  lived  respect- 
ably, was  accused  of  having  poisoned  his  uncle  and 
aunt,  who  lived  at  the  Vigan.  These  individuals  had  no 
children,  they  were  much  attached  to  the  young  man 
in  question,  who  used  to  visit  them  frequently,  and  it 
was  generally  known  they  had  made  their  will  in  his 
favour.  A  day  or  two  after  one  of  these  visits,  the 
uncle  and  aunt  were  found  dead  in  their  house  from 
the  effect  of  poison.  Another  relative  directed  the 
accusation  towards  this  young  man ;  he  brought 


16        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1811. 

fonvard  witnesses  to  his  having  procured  poison, 
and  the  evidence  appeared  so  clear  against  him,  and 
he  could  bring  so  little  to  disprove  the  charge,  that, 
although  he  protested  his  innocence,  he  was  found 
guilty  and  condemned  to  be  beheaded.  He  was 
imprisoned  and  judged  at  Nimes,  but,  as  the  crime 
had  been  committed  at  the  Vigan,  he  was  sentenced 
to  be  beheaded  there.  My  cousin,  now  my  brother-in- 
law,  Antoine  Clavel,  of  Codogan,  was  then  a  soldier 
stationed  at  Nimes.  He  was  one  of  the  guard  com- 
missioned to  convey  the  poor  fellow  to  the  place  of 
execution ;  they  brought  him  through  Congenies  in  a 
cart,  with  a  tilt  over  it,  and  as  they  came  up  to  our 
house  the  sad  procession  stopped.  There  were  several 
gendarmes  on  horseback,  and  a  few  soldiers  on  foot. 
My  cousin  came  into  the  house  and  had  a  glass  of 
wine,  and  a  bottle  and  glasses  were  taken  out  for  the 
other  soldiers.  My  dear  father  went  up  to  the  cart, 
which  was  soon  surrounded  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
village.  I  went  up  close  to  my  father,  who  was 
speaking  to  the  poor  man ;  he  lifted  me  up  and  set 
me  on  the  cart,  so  that  I  plainly  saw  him.  He  was 
lying  on  a  mattress,  almost  lifeless ;  we  were  told  that 
from  the  time  he  had  been  sentenced,  he  had  refused  to 
take  food,  and  that  he  obstinately  persisted  in  protesting 
his  innocence,  although  no  one  seemed  to  doubt  his 
guilt.  My  father  offered  him  something  to  take,  but 
he  refused,  and  said  he  hoped  to  die  before  he  came  to 
the  place  of  execution ;  and  I  suppose  he  was  en- 
deavouring to  persuade  him  to  confess,  and  to  show 
him  the  necessity  of  repentance,  for  he  suddenly  roused 
and  raising  his  hand  said,  as  nearly  as  I  can  remember, 


iSii.]  CAPITAL    PUNISHMENT.  17 

"  Je  suis  innocent,  et  le  Dieu  des  cieux  ne  laissera 
point  ce  crime  impuni."  These  words  had  evidently 
an  effect  on  all  that  heard  them,  and  there  was  a 
murmur  of  horror  and  sympathy  in  the  crowd.  The 
gendarmes,  however,  ordered  the  cart  to  be  put  in 
motion.  As  I  was  taken  off  the  cart  I  felt  as  though 
my  little  heart  would  break.  I  begged  of  my  father, 
whom  I  then  thought  most  influential,  to  intercede  for 
him ;  I  cried  out  that  he  should  not  be  killed,  and  I 
greatly  wondered  that  the  Mayor  of  the  village,  and 
many  other  persons  there  assembled,  and  particularly 
my  father,  who  was  so  kind  to  everybody,  should  thus 
allow  an  innocent  young  man  (I  believe  he  was  only 
about  twenty-two)  to  be  taken  to  execution.  In  a  few 
days  we  heard  that  he  had  been  beheaded,  but  that  he 
was  all  but  dead  when  taken  to  the  place  of  execution, 
and  that  as  long  as  he  could  speak  he  made  the  same 
protestation  of  innocence.  The  scene  haunted  me  for 
days,  and  very  often  I  wept  over  the  fate  of  this  poor 
victim  of  the  law.  Still,  as  everyone  thought  he  must 
be  guilty,  like  many  other  sad  events  it  was  almost 
forgotten,  until  the  relative  who  had  accused  this 
young  man,  and  had  inherited  the  uncle's  property, 
was  brought  to  his  death-bed,  eight  or  ten  years  I 
think  after  the  melancholy  execution ;  and  before  he 
died  he  confessed  that  he  had  committed  the  crime 
through  the  agency  of  the  person  whom  he  had  brought 
forward  as  a  witness  against  the  innocent  sufferer.  I 
have  heard  my  father  say  that  when  the  judge  who 
had  passed  the  sentence  heard  of  this  circumstance,  he 
was  so  distressed  that  he  retired  from  the  bench,  and 
that  his  hair  suddenly  turned  white  with  sorrow. 


18        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1811. 

Whenever  I  think  of  the  subject  of  the  punishment 
of  death,  this  instance  of  the  fallibility  of  human 
judgment,  by  which  the  life  of  an  innocent  victim 
was  sacrificed,  comes  also  before  me  with  vividness ; 
and  I  can  imagine  I  see  the  almost  lifeless  young 
man  lying  on  his  mattress,  mustering  his  little  re- 
maining strength  to  say,  "  I  am  innocent." 


CHAPTER    II. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY     CONTINUED. 

Visit  to  her  sister  at  Sauve — Earliest  remembrance  of  meetings 
of  Friends  at  Congenies — Remarkable  preservation  of  Pierre 
Rabinel — Declaration  of  Peace — Old  animosities  renewed — 
Visits  from  Friends. 

ABOUT  this  time  my  father  was  much  from  home 
on   business.     He   had   to   struggle   with   many 
difficulties  to  maintain  a  large  family  of  eight  children, 
and  my  dear  mother  had  very  poor  health. 

It  was,  I  think,  when  I  was  about  six  years  old, 
that  my  eldest  sister,  Alix,  married  Louis  Roux,  of 
Sauve,  just  at  the  foot  of  the  Cevennes.  I  stayed  with 
her  several  months  after  her  marriage.  My  dear 
mother's  state  of  health  had  prevented  her  from 
extending  to  my  sister  Lydie  and  myself  that  degree 
of  care  that  her  maternal  solicitude  would  have 
prompted,  and  we  were  very  much  under  the  care  of 
my  eldest  sister  till  her  marriage.  As  Sauve  was  the 
first  place  from  home  at  which  I  stayed,  I  will  endea- 
vour to  describe  it.  The  situation  of  the  little  town  is 
most  romantic  ;  and  even  at  that  early  age  I  remember 
being  struck  with  the  contrast  which  it  presented  to 
Congenies,  where  the  country  is  comparatively  plain 
and  richly  planted  with  vines  and  olives,  although 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  stony,  barren  hills.  Before 
we  come  to  Sauve  we  pass  for  a  considerable  distance 


20        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1811. 

along  the  banks  of  a  river  called  the  Vidourle,  one  of 
those  mountain  streams  which,  although  apparently 
insignificant  sometimes,  are  most  terrific  after  a 
season  of  rain,  carrying  everything  before  them  in  an 
awful  manner.  The  Vidourle  takes  its  rise  in  the 
mountains,  just  above  Sauve,  and  rushes  through  into 
a  basin  at  the  foot  of  the  town.  As  I  have  not  seen 
this  basin  since  that  early  period,  I  may  be  per- 
mitted to  consider  it  a  remarkable  place,  when  com- 
pared with  our  little  "Jacob's  Well"  at  Congenies, 
which  till  then  I  had  looked  upon  as  a  very  wonderful 
supply  of  water.  Near  the  town,  the  banks  of  this 
river  are  richly  cultivated  as  vegetable  and  fruit 
gardens,  in  spite  of  the  many  disappointments  which 
are  so  often  occasioned  by  the  inundations  which 
frequently  take  place.  A  little  further  from  the  shore 
are  groves  of  mulberry  trees,  and  up  the  sides  of  the 
rocky  mountains  every  nook  is  availed  of,  at  great 
labour  and  pains,  to  plant  vines  or  fruit  trees;  and 
where  nothing  else  will  grow,  in  the  very  clefts  of  the 
rock,  a  tree  called  the  Alizicr,  which  there  appears 
only  as  a  shrub,  is  cultivated  for  the  purpose  of  making 
hay  forks,  which  are  articles  of  considerable  com- 
merce in  the  place.  The  shoots  grow  from  a  stump, 
whose  roots  run  into  the  interstices  of  the  rock ; 
they  have  three  twigs  from  the  same  point ;  these  form 
the  three  prongs  of  the  fork ;  and  these  forks  are  the 
nicest  things  of  the  kind  I  ever  saw.  The  town  is 
built  on  the  side  of  the  mountain.  My  sister's  house 
was  about  the  middle  of  the  town :  from  the  road  we 
had  to  cross  the  river  on  an  old  bridge,  and  then  go 
up  a  great  number  of  steps  under  an  archway.  Enter- 


l8ii.]        VISIT  TO  HER  SISTER  AT  SAUVE.  21 

ing  the  house  from  the  street,  we  had  to  go  down  stairs 
to  the  kitchen  and  sitting-room,  which  seemed  to  be 
cut  out  of  the  rock,  with  a  wall  on  one  side,  and  a 
window,  at  a  great  height  from  the  road  below,  looking 
towards  the  river.  Everything  seemed  to  be  different 
from  what  I  had  been  accustomed  to — the  utensils  used, 
the  washing  by  the  river  side,  the  form  of  the  water 
pitchers,  and  the  manner  of  carrying  them  on  the  side, 
instead  of  the  head. 

I  remember  to  this  day  the  varied  impressions 
which  I  received  in  this  new  temporary  home.  Even 
the  plates  made  near  the  place  were  different.  They 
had  three  compartments;  one  for  the  meat,  one  for 
salad,  the  third  for  some  variously  dressed  vegetable ; 
and  were  used  by  the  men,  who  were  mostly  stocking- 
weavers,  in  taking  their  meals  either  in  the  streets,  for 
the  sake  of  the  fresh  air,  or  at  each  other's  houses,  for 
the  sake  of  company.  Everything  pleased  and  sur- 
prised me,  and  moreover  I  was  made  much  of.  But 
nothing  delighted  me  so  much  by  contrast  as  attend- 
ing the  Roman  'Catholic  worship.  My  sister's  near 
relatives  were  Protestants,  but  her  husband  had  a 
cousin,  also  named  Christine,  who  was  a  Roman 
Catholic,  and  almost  grown  up,  who  took  a  great 
fancy  to  me.  I  was  much  with  her,  and  as  there 
was  no  Friends'  meeting,  she  regularly  took  me  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  church.  This  was  a  high  treat  to  me  ; 
and  when  I  returned  home,  although  I  missed  many 
other  indulgences,  I  missed  nothing  more  than  the 
church ;  and  the  first  time  I  was  taken  to  our  meeting 
on  my  return,  after  sitting  a  little  while,  I  burst  into 
tears,  sobbing  out  that  I  wished  to  go  to  church. 


22       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1811. 

Whether  it  was  this  early-formed  taste,  or  my  frequent 
intercourse  with  the  children  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
family  at  Congenies,  where  the  priest  used  sometimes 
to  visit,  I  know  not ;  but  I  became  very  fond  of  him, 
and  he  used  to  take  much  notice  of  me.  He  was  a 
man  of  a  retiring  disposition,  and  his  house  "was 
almost  a  sealed  house ;  but  he  was  fond  of  flowers 
and  so  was  my  brother  Christophe,  who  was  then  an 
invalid,  as  was  also  the  daughter  of  the  family  I  have 
mentioned,  and  as  I  was  a  fearless  child,  they  used  to 
send  me  to  him  on  little  errands,  to  make  exchanges, 
&c.  My  dear  mother  also  sometimes  sent  me  to  him 
with  little  presents  of  fruit  and  vegetables,  as  she  did 
to  the  other  neighbours.  One  day  I  well  remember 
taking  a  basket  of  figs ;  his  mother  introduced  me 
to  him  while  he  was  at  breakfast  in  his  little  parlour; 
he  spoke  kindly  to  me,  but  he  soon  saw  that  my 
attention  was  riveted  on  an  image  in  a  niche,  of  the 
Virgin  and  child  surrounded  with  little  flying  angels. 
He  took  the  opportunity  to  endeavour  to  raise  in  my 
mind  a  feeling  of  reverence  for  these  images,  and  to 
excite  the  desire  to  have  them,  by  saying,  "You  have 
nothing  like  that  in  your  meeting;  would  not  you 
like  to  have  such?"  I  told  him  I  certainly  should. 
"But,"  he  added  rather  tauntingly,  "you  do  not 
believe  in  Jesus  and  the  angels."  Here  I  suppose  I 
felt  called  upon  to  defend  my  faith,  and  very  innocently 
said,  "Oh,  yes,  I  think  we  do!  but  we  do  not  believe 
in  those  which  are  made  of  wax."  I  remember  that 
here  the  conversation  ended,  and  I  should  probably 
never  have  known  that  my  answer  was  any  way  fitting 
or  clever  had  not  the  priest  repeated  it  to  our  neighbour, 


i8ii.]  IMPRESSIONS  OF  EARLY  CHILDHOOD.          23 

who  used  to  amuse  himself  by  asking  me,  why  I  did  not 
believe  in  wax  angels.  I  have  mentioned  these  circum- 
stances to  show  what  Protestant  children  are  exposed  to 
in  a  Roman  Catholic  country,  and  how  necessary  it  is 
that  they  should  be  early  taught  to  give  some  reason  for 
their  faith. 

I  must  not  leave  the  subject  of  my  early  childhood 
without  mentioning  the  vivid  impressions  which  were 
made  on  my  mind  by  reading  the  Scriptures.  Living 
as  I  did  where  the  customs  of  the  people  as  well  as  the 
aspect  of  the  country  are  so  similar  to  those  described 
there,  the  Bible  assumed  a  reality  which  I  scarcely  think 
possible  in  the  case  of  children  to  whom  such  manners 
and  customs  are  not  familiar.  The  vines,  the  fig-trees, 
the  pomegranates  and  the  olives ;  the  wheel  broken  at 
the  cistern  ;  the  watering  of  the  earth  with  the  foot ;  the 
ox  treading  out  the  corn ;  the  shepherd  going  before 
the  sheep ;  the  leading  of  the  horse  or  of  the  ass  to 
watering;  the  treading  of  the  winepress  alone;  the 
figure  of  the  man  sitting  down  under  his  own  vine  and 
his  own  fig-tree,  where  none  should  make  him  afraid ; 
all  these  and  many  other  beautiful  allusions,  which 
must  be  lost  on  English  children  and  all  those  inhabit- 
ing northern  countries,  were  completely  intelligible  to 
me,  and  for  each  scene  mentioned  in  the  Bible  I  had  a 
clear  representation  in  my  mind's  eye.  Our  famous 
fountain  at  Congenies  furnished  me  with  more  than 
one.  There,  when  I  used  to  be  sent  to  fill  my  little 
pitcher  with  water,  I  used  to  fancy  I  saw  Rebekah 
going  down  to  draw  water  for  the  camels  of  Eleazar ; 
not  that  I  had  seen  camels  there ;  but  very  often  on  a 
summer's  evening  I  had  seen  flocks  of  sheep  supplied 


24        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1811. 

in  the  same  manner ;  and  there  also  I  fancied  I  could 
see  our  Saviour,  sitting  on  the  well,  conversing  with 
the  woman  of  Samaria,  whom  I  clearly  pictured  to 
my  imagination  with  her  pitcher  in  her  hand,  just  such 
a  one  as  I  had  myself.  The  fountain  is  situated  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  village,  at  the  foot  of  a  rocky 
hill.  The  crystal  spring  issues  from  the  rock  a  little 
below  the  surface,  and  a  flight  of  eight  stone  steps 
leads  to  a  well  of  about  3  feet  by  6  inches,  part  of  which 
is  covered  by  a  broad  flat  stone.  On  one  side  of  the 
steps  is  a  parapet  to  rest  the  pitchers  on,  and  on  the 
other  a  trough  cut  out  of  a  single  stone,  communicating 
with  smaller  ones,  used  for  watering  the  sheep.  The 
water  of  this  spring  is  excellent,  and  when,  as  it  often 
happens,  all  the  wells  of  the  village  are  dried  up,  it 
affords  the  inhabitants  an  abundant  supply,  and  has 
never  been  known  to  fail,  or  remain  many  hours  below 
a  certain  level.  .  This  can  scarcely  be  appreciated  to  the 
full,  except  in  a  country  which  is  so  subject  to  droughts 
of  many  months ;  but  the  inhabitants  speak  of  it  with 
something  amounting  to  veneration. 

One  more  subject  of  interest  to  me  during  my  early 
childhood  I  will  record.  My  earliest  remembrance  of 
the  meeting  at  Congenies  was  its  being  held  in  "La 
Salle."  My  father  and  Pierre  Rabinel,  with  an  old 
blind  friend,  Madelaine  Benezet,  whom  my  father 
called  "Aunt,"  sat  at  the  top,  and  used  to  preach; 
and  sometimes  we  had  visits  from  Jacques  Brun,  a 
lame  friend  from  St.  Gilles.  Pierre  Rabinel  was  a 
great  favourite  with  us ;  he  was  an  amiable,  kind- 
hearted  man,  and  for  many  years  worked  for  my 
father,  and  attended  to  his  affairs  to  the  best  of  his 


REMARKABLE  PRESER  VA  TION  OF  P.  RABINEL.  25 

ability  when  my  father  was  so  much  from  home.  Of 
an  evening  he  used  to  come  in  sometimes  and  amuse 
us  with  interesting  tales.  One  in  particular  used  to 
interest  us  much,  and,  like  all  children  who  never 
seem  to  tire  of  an  often-told  tale,  we  frequently  asked 
him  to  relate  it  to  us,  which  he  used  always  to 
do  with  so  much  seriousness,  that  I  have  never 
forgotten  the  emotions  which  it  produced  on  my 
mind ;  both  as  to  the  danger  and  the  remarkable  pro- 
tection which  he  experienced,  and  which  he  attributed 
to  God  in  direct  answer  to  his  prayer.  This  dear  old 
Friend,  who,  I  should  think,  had  a  very  small  share  of 
moral  courage,  was  accustomed  to  employ  his  over- 
hours  in  cultivating  a  vineyard  in  a  very  retired  part, 
amongst  the  rocky  hills  above  the  village,  and  he 
used  to  relate  that  often  when  there  by  himself,  at  the 
approach  of  night,  he  would  pray  to  be  preserved 
from  harm.  Once,  being  later  than  usual  on  a  bright 
moonlight  night,  he  heard  a  noise  of  something  step- 
ping amongst  the  loose  stones.  He  looked  up  and 
saw  a  large  wolf  close  to  him,  gnashing  at  him  with 
his  teeth.  He  saw  that  there  was  no  hope  for  him 
but  in  Divine  protection.  "  I  raised  my  voice  to 
God,"  he  would  say,  assuming  an  impressive  attitude, 
"  and  I  asked  Him  to  protect  me  by  giving  me  courage 
and  strength  to  withstand  this  furious  beast.  I  im- 
mediately felt  my  soul  fortified  and  calm."  All  this 
time  he  was  motionless,  and  the  hungry  beast  stood 
at  bay,  showing  his  teeth  and  howling  at  him ;  but 
how  he  should  move  from  the  spot  he  did  not  know. 
He  had,  however,  a  pickaxe  in  his  hand,  and  turning 
his  back  in  the  direction  of  the  village  he  presented 
C 


26        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1814. 

his  pickaxe  towards  the  wolf,  more  as  an  instrument 
of  defence  than  of  attack.  As  he  moved  backwards, 
the  wolf  moved  also,  and  thus  they  went  on  together 
over  loose  stones,  having  at  times  to  get  over  walls, 
and  along  little  paths,  which  can  be  imagined  only  by 
those  who  know  the  country,  until  they  came  very 
near  the  village,  a  distance  of  nearly  a  mile,  when  the 
wolf,  hearing  a  noise,  grinned  at  him  and  turned 
off,  leaving  the  dear  Friend,  as  he  said,  with  his 
heart  full  of  gratitude  to  that  God  who  had  so  sig- 
nally protected  him,  and  answered  his  prayer  by 
keeping  his  mind  perfectly  calm  during  the  time  he 
Was  thus  exposed. 

I  well  remember  the  Declaration  of  Peace  which 
followed  the  overthrow  of  Napoleon  after  the  Russian 
campaign ;  the  Catholics  especially  rejoiced  at  the 
return  of  the  Bourbons;  but  the  Protestants  felt  that 
some  of  their  liberties  were  in  danger ;  and  many  old 
animosities  produced  by  the  sufferings  all  had  under- 
gone during  the  Revolution  revived,  now  that  the  all- 
engrossing  excitement  was  past.  Party  spirit  ran  very 
high,  and  well  did  I  know  what  was  meant  by  Royalist 
and  Bonapartist.  There  was  not  an  individual,  even  in 
our  village,  who  did  not  warmly  espouse  one  party ; 
though  here,  the  majority  being  Protestants  and  for 
Napoleon,  we  did  not  witness  quarrels  between  the 
two  parties  such  as  took  place  at  Nimes  and  some 
of  the  neighbouring  places,  where  the  Bonapartists 
were  exposed  to  much  suffering.  Those  who  would 
not  wear  the  white  cockade  were  taken  and  publicly 
whipped,  and  some  lost  their  lives.  This  was  done 
by  a  lawless  rabble.  This  state  of  things  did  not 


1814.]  OLD  POLITICAL  ANIMOSITIES.  27 

last  long,  for  suddenly  we  heard  that  Napoleon  had 
escaped  from  Elba,  that  he  had  passed  close  to  us, 
and  that  he  was  again  at  the  head  of  affairs.  The 
Bonapartists  now  unwisely  retaliated ;  and  although 
they  did  not  commit  the  same  atrocities,  yet  when 
they  had  the  power,  those  among  them  who  were 
the  most  unprincipled  returned  evil  for  evil,  and 
thus  kept  alive  that  malice  which  was  afterwards 
so  abundantly  reeked  upon  them,  when,  after  "  the 
hundred  days,"  Napoleon  was  defeated  at  Waterloo. 
Never  can  I  forget  those  times  of  pillage,  of  murder, 
and  of  every  kind  of  ill-treatment,  which  the  Pro- 
testants particularly,  and  all  those  who  were  con- 
sidered to  be  attached  to  Napoleon,  received  from 
the  opposite  party ;  represented  by  a  band  of  wicked 
men,  headed  by  one  surnamed  Trestaillon,  because 
he  said  he  would  cut  all  the  Bonapartists  in  three 
pieces.* 

Many  houses  were  pillaged  and  the  inhabitants 
murdered.  Well  do  I  remember  the  signal-fires  which 
were  made  on  the  hills,  when  the  inhabitants  of  some 
neighbouring  village  called  others  to  their  help,  at  the 
approach,  real  or  supposed,  of  the  lawless  band,  which 
was  allowed  thus  to  infest  the  country  for  many 
weeks,  and  with  which  most  of  the  low  population 
took  part. 

My  dear  father's  love  of  peace  had  induced  him 
rather  to  rejoice  at  the  overthrow  of  Napoleon,  and 
many  others  were  of  the  same  opinion,  though  they 

*  Some  interesting  details  of  this  reaction  will  be  found  in 
Browning's  History  of  the  Huguenots,  chapter  Ixvii. 


28        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1814. 

were  far  from  having  any  sympathy  with  the  Royalist 
party,  such  as  it  manifested  itself.  As  my  father  was 
known  to  be  a  man  who  would  take  no  part  in  any  com- 
motion, he  was  wonderfully  preserved  from  harm  from 
either  party ;  and  notwithstanding  the  frequent  changes 
of  Mayor  in  two  communes  in  which  he  served  as  Re- 
corder and  Registrar,  he  retained  his  situation  under  the 
different  Governments  until  he  resigned.  Once  during 
the  heat  of  the  persecution  he  was  obliged  to  go  to 
Nimes.  He  had  never  worn  the  national  cockade. 
Before  he  arrived  at  the  barrier  he  was  stopped  by  a 
lawless  troop,  and  questioned  as  to  the  reason  of  his 
having  no  cockade.  He  answered  that  he  was  not  a 
soldier,  and  that  he  did  not  see  but  that  he  could  be  a 
very  loyal  subject  without  that  badge.  One  of  the 
company  said,  "Well,  let  him  go;  if  he  is  one  of 
them,  he  is  not  a  bad  one."  When  he  arrived  at  the 
house  of  a  friend  of  his,  who  was  a  Royalist,  he  was 
very  strongly  remonstrated  with ;  his  friend  telling 
him  that  he  had  greatly  exposed  his  life  by  refusing 
what  would  do  him  no  harm,  and  he  insisted  on  giving 
him  a  cockade,  wishing  to  fix  it  on  his  hat.  My 
father  consented  to  take  it,  but  he  put  it  in  his  pocket. 
When  he  was  about  to  leave  the  town,  he  was  again 
stopped,  and  the  same  question  was  put  to  him,  to 
which  he  gave  a  similar  answer,  adding,  "And  perhaps 
you  may  find  that  I  am  a  better  Royalist  than  you 
all,  if  this  is  to  be  the  proof;  for  I  never  wore  the 
tri-coloured  cockade,  and  probably  none  among  you 
can  say  the  same."  At  this  they  laughed  and  let 
him  go. 

As  I  have  mentioned,  our  friends  had  no  commu- 


i8i4-]  VISITS  OF  ENGLISH  FRIENDS.  29 

nication  with  England  during  the  war;  but  in  1814 
Evan  Rees,  from  Neath,  came  to  France  for  the 
benefit  of  his  health.  He  stayed  several  months  in  our 
house,  and  he  began  to  teach  my  brothers  English. 
He  was  the  first  English  Friend  I  had  seen ;  we  were 
all  very  fond  of  him,  and  he  very  kindly  interested  him- 
self in  the  school  which  was  kept  by  my  uncle  Antoine 
Brun,  and  in  our  studies.  But  the  return  of  Napoleon 
and  the  consequent  declaration  of  war,  obliged  him  to 
hasten  home.  My  brother  George  went  with  him,  but 
the  authorities  would  not  permit  my  brother  to  embark 
at  Bordeaux.  However,  an  Englishman  who  had  just 
brought  his  sister  to  France  and  was  returning  without 
her,  offered  to  take  him  under  the  same  passport,  if  he 
could  put  on  women's  clothes.  These  were  lent  him  by 
the  wife  of  a  Dutch  captain,  and  they  all  embarked 
together.  They  had,  however,  a  very  narrow  escape, 
for  the  vessel  being  bound  for  Amsterdam,  the  English 
passengers  were  transferred  to  an  English  ship  they  fell 
in  with,  and  the  same  night  the  Dutch  vessel  was 
wrecked  and  most  of  the  crew  perished. 

In  1815  we  had  the  first  religious  visit  from  Friends 
that  I  can  remember.  This  was  from  Elizabeth 
Coggeshall  and  Sarah  Hustler,  accompanied  by  Joseph 
Marriage  and  Benjamin  Seebohm.  J.  S.  Mollett,  who 
then  resided  at  Marseilles,  was  also  with  them  as 
interpreter.  This  dear  Friend  often  visited  us.  I  have 
no  other  impression  of  the  visit  of  these  Friends  than 
the  great  novelty  of  the  scene  altogether.  The  dress, 
and  the  language,  amused  and  interested  us,  and  for 
a  long  time  we  children  used  to  hold  little  meetings ; 
and  my  sister,  Lydie,  who  was  then  about  seven  years 


30        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1815. 

of  age,  used  to  try  to  preach  like  Elizabeth  Coggeshall, 
dressed  up  in  a  mob  cap,  such  as  was  often  worn  at 
that  time.  We  all  had,  however,  a  very  exalted  idea 
of  the  English  Friends,  and  thought  we  could  never 
be  as  good  as  they  were.  At  this  time  my  three 
eldest  sisters  had  left  the  parental  roof,  and,  though 
young,  I  was  useful  to  my  dear  mother,  who  had  very 
poor  health  ;  but  my  father  often  expressed  the  wish 
to  send  me  to  school  in  England,  and  the  next  year 
his  wish  was  nearly  accomplished,  but  my  mother 
could  not  make  up  her  mind  to  part  with  me.  This 
was  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  from  Priscilla  Gurney,* 
who,  on  her  way  from  Nice,  accompanied  by  her 
cousin,  A.  R.  Barclay,  stayed  about  a  week  at  Con- 
genies.  Never  shall  I  forget  this  visit.  The  attractive- 
ness of  Priscilla  Gurney's  person,  her  truly  winning 
manners,  her  kindness,  the  sweetness  of  her  voice, 
and,  more  than  all,  her  likeness  to  the  Master  whom 
she  loved  and  served,  drew  me  to  her  in  a  way  that 
words  cannot  convey ;  and  when  she  kindly  took 
me  into  her  room  to  read  the  Scriptures  to  her, 
the  explanations  which  she  gave,  and  her  manner  of 
directing  my  attention  to  the  love  of  our  blessed 
Saviour,  had  a  great  effect  on  me.  I  could  have  fol- 
lowed her  anywhere,  for  I  thought  that  if  I  was  with 
her  I  must  be  good.  I  think  they  attended  only  two 
meetings;  Priscilla  Gurney  spoke  in  both,  and  in 
French;  in  one  she  repeated  a  part  of  the  i3th  chapter 
of  Corinthians,  on  Charity.  This  seemed  to  me  appli- 


*  A  younger  sister   of   Elizabeth  Fry.     (See  "  Memoir  of  J.  J. 
Gurney,"  vol.  i.,  p.  188.) 


1815.]  PRISCILLA  GURNEY.  31 

cable  to  herself,  and  when  she  said,  "  Now  we  see 
through  a  glass  darkly,  but  then  face  to  face,"  I 
thought  her  face  could  not  be  more  beautiful  in 
Heaven  than  it  looked  then.  She  expressed  the  wish 
to  take  me  to  England,  and  I  was  even  placed  in  the 
carriage  between  A.  R.  Barclay  and  herself  a  few  days 
before  they  left,  to  try  if  there  would  be  room  for  me. 
It  was,  however,  ordered  otherwise.  They  left  us,  and 
I  understood  from  herself,  that  if  at  any  time  my  father 
and  mother  should  be  willing  to  send  me  to  England, 
she  would  be  willing  to  have  me.  A  short  time  after 
this  her  uncle  and  aunt,  Joseph  and  Jane  Gurney,  paid 
us  a  short  visit  on  their  way  from  Nice,  where  they  had 
lost  one  of  their  daughters.  Joseph  Gurney  spoke  i« 
the  meeting  in  French. 


CHAPTER    III. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY   CONTINUED. 

First  visit  to  England — Home  at  William  Allen's — Impressions 
of  new  country — Friends,  Elizabeth  J.  Fry,  &c. — Plough 
Court — Learns  English — Attends  Yearly  Meeting — Returns 
to  France  in  company  with  her  father  —  Narrow  Escape  — 
Feelings  on  return  home. 

I  Twos  in  the  Seventh  Month,  1817,  that  William  Allen 
and  his  daughter  came  to  France,  accompanying 
Hannah  Field  and  Elizabeth  Barker  from  America. 
Josiah  Forster  and  Daniel  Hanbury  were  also  of  the 
party,  and  they  brought  with  them  my  brother  George, 
who  had  gone  to  England  three  years  before.  Wil- 
liam Allen  and  his  daughter  Mary  took  much  interest 
in  the  school.  They  re-organized  it  and  introduced 
the  Borough  Road  lessons.  These  were  pasted  on 
boards,  and  Mary  Allen,  with  Daniel  Hanbury,  laboured 
hard  to  do  them.  I  considered  it  a  great  privi- 
lege to  be  allowed  to  help,  my  mind  being  at  that 
time  very  seriously  impressed  with  the  kindness  of 
these  Friends  coming  so  far  to  visit  us,  and  to  toil  as 
they  did  to  do  us  good.  I  was  forming  good  reso- 
lutions for  my  future  conduct  in  the  school,  when  it 
was  suddenly  concluded  that  I  was  to  accompany 
them  to  England,  William  Allen  having  offered  to 
take  me,  as  I  thought,  to  be  with  Priscilla  Gurney, 
but  I  believe  now  that  he  intended  to  place  me  at 
(32) 


1817.]  FIRST   VISIT  TO  ENGLAND.  33 

some  school.  My  delight  was  so  great  that  during 
all  the  preparations,  which  were  heart-rending  'to  my 
poor  mother,  I  continued  cheerful  and  buoyant,  in- 
creasing the  distress  of  my  most  tender  parents, 
whom  I,  however,  ardently  loved  ;  but  I  was  full  of 
pleasing  anticipations  of  the  many  places  I  should 
see,  and  particularly  of  the  great  delight  of  riding  all 
day  in  the  handsome  English  coach  William  Allen 
had  brought ;  the  like  of  which  I  had  then  not  beheld. 
My  spirits  kept  good  to  the  last.  Child-like,  or  at  least 
French  child-like,  the  present  pleasure  prevented  me 
from  at  all  realising  the  pain  I  should  feel  at  parting 
from  those  who  were  most  dear  to  me,  and  in  find- 
ing myself  entirely  thrown  among  strangers,  whose 
language  I  did  not  understand,  and  whose  habits  and 
manners  were  totally  different  from  what  I  had  been 
accustomed  to.  The  Friends  left  Congenies  on  the 
25th  of  Seventh  Month,  1817,  for  Montpellier.  Wil- 
liam Allen  thus  notices  their  departure:  —  "Many 
tears  were  shed  by  these  poor  affectionate  people. 
L.  and  M.  Majolier  have  agreed  to  let  their  little 
daughter  Christine  go  with  us  to  England."  I  did 
not  leave  Congenies  with  them  ;  but  two  days  after, 
my  father  and  mother  took  me  to  Montpellier ;  and  it 
was  not  till  I  actually  stepped  into  the  carriage,  and 
saw  my  dear  parents  endeavouring  in  vain  to  con- 
ceal their  emotion,  that  the  reality  of  my  situation 
presented  itself.  I  saw  what  I  was  doing.  The 
thought  that  I  might  never  see  those  beloved  ones 
again  rushed  into  my  mind.  I  remembered  the 
anxious  entreaties  of  my  beloved  mother,  repeated 
only  the  night  before,  that  if  I  would  tell  her  that  I 


34     MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE   M.  ALSOP.     [1817. 


felt  the  least  misgiving  on  the  subject  there  was 
yet  time  to  retreat.  In,  as  it  were,  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye,  everything  that  might  have  been  brought 
forward  against  my  thus  venturing  on  a  thoroughly 
unknown  path  came  before  my  view,  and  my  heart 
sank  within  me  when  I  thought  of  my  mother's 
distress.  As  the  carriage  drove  off  I  wept  aloud, 
entreating  my  kind,  but  untried,  friends  to  allow 
me  to  get  out  of  the  carriage ;  I  knew  I  could  find 
my  way  back  if  they  would.  The  first  day  of  this 
long  journey  was  one  I  can  never  forget.  I  had  no 
pleasure  in  seeing  the  towns  and  villages,  nor  in 
riding  in  the  beautiful  carriage  ;  my  friends,  though 
truly  kind  to  me,  spoke  to  one  another  in  a  language  I 
did  not  understand,  and  I  had  no  peace  till  I  had  cried 
myself  to  sleep.  Many  such  days,  though,  perhaps, 
with  a  little  decreasing  sorrow,  did  I  pass  during  this 
memorable  journey,  which  had  such  an  important 
bearing  on  my  future  life  ;  and  I  have  often  thought 
what  an  exercise  of  patience  it  must  have  been  for  my 
friends,  and  particularly  for  dear  Mary  Allen,  who  had 
the  chief  charge  of  me.  But  through  all  I  had  a 
grateful  sense  of  their  kindness,  and  my  sense  of 
loneliness  made  me  cling  to  them,  and  particularly  to 
this  sweet  devoted  creature,  and  I  repaid  her  with 
love.  The  American  Friends  did  not  speak  French, 
but  Hannah  Field  was  very  warm-hearted  and  kind, 
and  as  she  nursed  me  on  her  knee,  both  in  the  carriage 
and  at  other  times,  I  felt  there  was  a  language  of  the 
heart  which  needed  no  words.  I  had  learned  a  few 
words  of  English  before  I  left  home,  and  on  the 
journey  I  added  perhaps  half-a-dozen  more  to  my 


iSiy.]  FIRST   VISIT  TO  ENGLAND.  35 

little  stock.  D.  B.  Hanbury  was  particularly  kind  to 
me  in  talking  French  ;  and  I  was  very  fond  of  riding 
with  him  outside.  On  one  occasion  I  heard  the 
two  postilions  speaking  the  patois  of  our  country. 
I  was  delighted,  and  soon  entered  into  conversation 
with  them,  and  it  was  a  trial  to  part  with  them  at  the 
end  of  the  stage,  and  glad  should  I  have  been  if  I 
could  have  gone  back  with  them.  The  only  thing 
which  made  me  try  to  make  the  best  of  my  position 
was  the  consideration  that  I  should  be  in  the  way 
of  improvement,  and  particularly  that  I  should  learn 
to  be  good ;  for  I  often  felt  desires  after  what  I  con- 
sidered true  excellence  in  every  respect.  But  I  was 
very  volatile,  and  had  often  to  feel  that  I  did  not  suc- 
ceed in  becoming  what  I  thought  was  to  be  attained  to 
by  my  own  efforts.  We  travelled  on  the  west  side  of 
France,  and  visited  many  places  I  have  not  seen 
since,  proceeding  from  Montpellier,  Beziers,  and  Car- 
cassonne, by  way  of  Montauban,  at  which  place  I  first 
became  acquainted  with  my  long-esteemed  friend 
Emilien  Frossard.  He  and  his  sisters  called  to  see 
the  Friends  at  the  inn.  He  was  then  a  young  man 
about  seventeen  years  of  age.  Thence  by  Bordeaux, 
Agen,  Poitiers,  Tours,  Versailles,  and  so  to  Paris. 
When  I  was  not  too  much  absorbed  by  the  recol- 
lection of  all  I  had  left  behind  I  enjoyed  the 
travelling,  and  I  have  now  as  vivid  a  recollection 
of  many  of  the  incidents  that  occurred  and  of  the 
variety  that  I  saw,  as  of  any  journey  I  have  taken 
since. 

We  arrived  in  England  in  the  Eighth  Month,  1817, 
and  landed  at  Dover.     At  this  distance  of  time  I  can 


36     MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1817. 

look  back  with  a  very  vivid  recollection  of  the  impres- 
sions I  had  at  finding  myself  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
land.  A  most  forlorn  little  thing,  unable  to  sympathise 
with  anything  around  me,  I  was  fond  of  play,  and 
yet  the  first  children  I  saw  increased  my  feeling  of  lone- 
liness, for  I  could  not  understand  them.  I  was  taken  to 
the  house  of  our  friends  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Beck, 
and  their  two  daughters,  Deborah  and  Eliza — who  were 
living  with  their  grandfather,  John  Lister,  at  Stoke 
Newington — became  my  playmates.  The  first  English 
words  I  learnt  in  England  were  "How  much?'1  at  the 
turnpikes. 

William  Allen  and  his  family  at  that  time  passed 
half  the  week  at  Plough  Court,  in  the  city,  and  the 
other  half  at  Stoke  Newington.  At  the  latter  place 
William  Allen's  second  wife,  Charlotte  Allen,  had, 
previously  to  her  marriage,  resided  with  her  sister, 
Anna  Hanbury,  who  continued  to  form  part  of  the 
family;  the  establishment  at  Newington  being  under 
her  control.  The  family  there  consisted  of  William 
Allen,  his  daughter  Mary,  Anna  Hanbury,  and 
Daniel  and  Cornelius  Hanbury.  I  cannot  suffi- 
ciently express  the  kindness  which  they  all  showed 
me;  and  yet,  at  first,  I  was  certainly  unhappy, — 
unaccustomed  to  the  usages  of  polished  society, 
lively  and  fond  of  romping  play, — my  life  was 
now  one  of  constant  constraint ;  and  as  Anna 
Hanbury  was  unused  to  children,  and  very  anxious 
to  make  me  all  that  could  be  desired,  I  was  con- 
stantly an  object  of  attention,  and  my  little  faults 
were  never  overlooked.  This  often  excited  wrong 
tempers,  and  I  believe  I  was  often  very  troublesome 


l8i7-]  LIFE    WITH   WILLIAM  ALLEN.  37 

to  my  kind  care-takers.  Dear  Mary  Allen  most  dis- 
interestedly gave  up  the  greater  part  of  her  time  to  my 
studies,  of  which  I  now  became  very  fond,  and  I  was 
most  affectionately  attached  to  her.  The  little  troubles 
I  had,  were  inseparable  from  the  position  in  which  I 
was  placed,  which  may  be  better  understood  than  I  can 
describe. 

Soon  after  I  arrived  in  England,  William  Allen 
received  into  his  family  Emilien  Frossard,  from  Mon- 
tauban,  and  thus  strengthened  an  acquaintance  which 
has  afforded  me  comfort  through  life.  He  was  rather 
older  than  myself,  of  a  lively  and  amiable  disposition, 
and  as  neither  he  nor  I  could  speak  English,  we  had 
much  pleasure  in  each  other's  society,  and  I  often  got 
into  disgrace  with  Aunt  Anna  (as  I  called  Anna  Han- 
bury),  for  going  to  Emilien  Frossard's  room  to  have  a 
chat  with  my  lively  countryman. 

This  was  a  period  in  William  Allen's  life  in  which 
his  time  was  much  occupied ;  the  days  were  spent  in 
Plough  Court.  First-,  Second-,  Third-,  and  part  of 
Fourth-days  days  were  taken  up  by  meetings,  many 
of  which  were  held  at  Plough  Court.  I  had  thus  an 
opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  leading 
philanthropic  characters  of  the  day,  who  very  kindly 
took  notice  of  me;  "the  little  French  girl"  was  the 
name  I  generally  went  by,  though  William  Allen  himself 
used  to  call  me  "Criss,"  and  I  called  him  "Father." 
Being  lively  and  good-tempered  I  now  became  a 
plaything  in  the  family,  and  was  reconciled  to  my 
new  position  as  soon  as  I  could  understand  a  little 
English ;  indeed  I  was  very  happy,  for  I  enjoyed  my 
lessons,  and  my  attachment  to  my  kind  care-taker  was 


38        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1818. 

most  warm  and  affectionate,  and,  as  far  as  I  can  judge 
at  this  distance  of  time,  her  management  of  me  must 
have  been  judicious  and  wise,  as  she  insensibly 
made  me  like  all  that  she  considered  excellent.  I 
have  never  known,  as  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge,  a 
more  humble  and  self-denying  Christian  than  she 
was,  and  I  desire  that  the  effect  of  her  pious  example 
may  never  pass  from  my  memory,  nor  her  deep 
concern  for  my  good  every  way,  from  my  heart. 
To  her  and  to  her  beloved  father  I  owe  much. 
Indeed  what  do  I  not  owe  them,  under  a  kind 
Providence ! 

Nothing  very  particular  occurred  during  the  first 
year  of  my  being  in  England ;  I  was  kept  diligently 
at  my  lessons  and  soon  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the 
English  language,  which  I  was  able  to  speak  fluently 
before  the  end  of  that  first  year.  In  1818  I  attended 
the  Yearly '  Meeting,  and  was  able  to  understand  a 
great  deal  that  passed,  as  far  as  the  knowledge  of 
English  went.  I  was  much  interested,  and  enjoyed 
the  meetings,  but  I  think  it  was  a  good  deal  on  account 
of  the  notice  that  was  taken  of  me,  "the  little  French 
girl,"  by  the  good  Friends,  such  as  Mary  Proud,  Mary 
Alexander,  Rebecca  Byrd,  Ann  Crowley,  Mary  Stacey, 
and  Mary  and  Elizabeth  Dudley.  The  latter  were  par- 
ticularly kind ;  they  were  the  more  interested  about 
me,  as  Mary  Dudley  had  been  in  France  and  was  well 
acquainted  with  my  father.  Both  Hannah  Field  and 
Stephen  Grellet  were  in  attendance  at  the  Yearly 
Meeting.  My  usual  seat  was  a  hassock  on  the  gallery 
steps,  and  there  I  stood  when  the  meeting  broke  up, 
ready  and  desirous  for  the  pat  and  the  kiss  of  those 


I8i8.]  ASSOCIATION  WITH  FRIENDS.  39 

whom  I  thought  so  eminently  good,  and  for  whom 
I  had  a  sort  of  veneration  which  I  cannot  describe. 
During  this  year  I  became  acquainted  with  Elizabeth 
Fry;  she  used  then  to  be  sometimes  at  Mildred's 
Court  and  to  attend  Gracechurch  Street  Meeting.  I 
was  perfectly  charmed  with  her;  she  was  so  kind,  so 
considerate,  so  playful  with  children,  so  condescending, 
and  so  dignified  at  the  same  time,  that  I  shall  never 
forget  the  impression  she  made  upon  me.  The  meet- 
ing at  Gracechurch  Street  was  then  very  large ;  on 
First-day  morning  the  body  of  the  meeting-house 
was  quite  full.*  The  Friends  that  sat  in  the  gallery 
were  William  Allen  and  Thomas  and  Rebecca 
Christy,  Ann  Capper,  Mary  Savory,  Dorcas  Coventry, 
Rebecca  Christy,  Elizabeth  Fry  (and  part  of  the  time 
Katherine  Capper,  now  Backhouse,  and  Mary  Sander- 
son, afterwards  Mary  Fox).  At  that  time  I  think  there 
were  many  more  religious  visits  from  Friends  than 
we  have  now.  I  remember  thinking  what  interesting 
.meetings  we  had  when  strangers  came.  Mary  and 
Elizabeth  Dudley  used  frequently  to  come ;  they  then 
lived  in  Nelson  Square,  in  the  Borough.  The  ministry 
of  the  former  had  a  powerful  effect  on  my  mind, 
though  I  do  not  now  remember  whether  it  was  the 
words  used  or  the  manner.  She  was  a  tall,  dignified 
woman,  elegant  in  form,  with  a  fine  open  countenance, 
expressive  of  great  benignity  and  power  of  mind;  her 
voice  was  commanding  and  yet  soft,  much  exempt 


*  This  it  will  be  remembered  was  before  the  establishment  of 
the  Meeting  at  Stoke  Newington. 


40        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1818. 

from  tone,  except  towards  the  end.  The  few  last 
sentences  were  uttered  in  a  melodious  voice  which 
seemed  to  go  to  the  heart ;  but  no  preaching  that  I  re- 
member had  so  much  effect  upon  me  as  Elizabeth  Fry's 
and,  a  little  later,  Sylvanus  Fox's. 

In  the  Eighth  Month,  1818,  William  Allen  under- 
took his  long  journey  with  Stephen  Grellet  in  Norway, 
Sweden,  Russia,  Greece,  &c.,  so  that  there  was  less 
variety  in  the  manner  of  spending  our  time,  and  his 
daughter  Mary  was  more  at  liberty  to  attend  to  me. 
Most  assiduously  did  she  pursue  the  task,  and  now 
that  I  could  understand  English,  I  took  pleasure  in 
my  learning.  She  often  turned  my  attention  to  that 
which  was  good,  and  she  used  to  read  the  Bible  to  me 
after  I  went  to  bed. 

In  1820  William  Allen  returned  home.  The  part  of 
the  week  which  was  spent  at  Plough  Court  was  very 
amusing  to  me  by  its  bustle.  Many  strangers  came 
there,*both  English  and  foreign,  and  I  was  delighted 
to  do  little  errands  for  the  different  committees,  such 
as  fetching  pens,  ink,  or  paper,  from  the  counting- 
house.  I  remember,  as  often  being  at  Plough  Court, 
Joseph  Foster  (of  Bromley),  Michael  Gibbs,  and  some- 
times Robert  Owen,  T.  F.  Buxton,  Samuel  Hoare, 
and  William  Crawford ;  besides  these  the  Committees 
on  Capital  Punishment,  and  for  the  Improvement  of 
Prisons,  used  to  meet  there.  Elizabeth  Fry  used 
also  to  come,  and  Joseph  John  Gurney,  the  latter 
of  whom  I  saw  for  the  first  time  when  he  attended 
Gracechurch  Street  Meeting,  about  a  year  after  I 
came  to  England.  He  bat  at  the  end  seat  of  the  first 
cross  form,  and  both  preached  and  supplicated.  I 


1820.]    J.  J.GURNEY;    W.  ALLEN' S  BUSY  LIFE.      41 

was  very  much  struck  with  him.  His  fine  person, 
his  beautiful  dark,  glossy  hair,  his  intelligent,  benign, 
and  truly  amiable  countenance,  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion upon  me.  And  as  he  noticed  me  most  kindly 
as  I  was  introduced  to  him  by  Elizabeth  Fry,  as  the 
little  girl  his  sister  Priscilla  wanted  to  bring  to  Eng- 
land, I  felt  myself  greatly  honoured.  Now  that  many 
of  those  whom  I  then  loved  are  no  more,  I  like  to 
remember  the  first  impression  I  received  respecting 
them.  And  this  first  remembrance  of  one  whom  I 
have  loved  through  life,  and  from  whom  I  have 
received  so  many  marks  of  interest  and  affection,  is 
very  pleasant.  I  have  also  a  very  sweet  remembrance 
of  Mary  and  Elizabeth  Dudley,  and  Martha  Savory 
I  became  acquainted  with  at  this  time.  William 
Allen's  time  was  much  occupied  with  his  lectures. 
I  took  great  interest  in  some  of  the  experiments,  and 
often  have  we  (his  daughter  and  myself)  been  out  with 
him,  on  a  cold  night,  to  look  at  the  moon  and  stars 
through  the  telescope.  It  was  a  great  delight  to  me 
to  be  allowed  to  go  with  him  to  his  observatory  to 
count  the  seconds  of  his  clock  as  he  observed  the 
passage  of  the  stars  through  his  circular  instrument, 
by  which  he  took  the  time.  His  life  was  one  of  con- 
tinual engagements ;  he  rose  early  and  lighted  his 
own  fire.  The  early  hours  were  generally  devoted 
to  his  correspondence,  and  during  the  time  he  was 
shaving,  £c.,  his  daughter  used  to  read  to  him  in 
Latin  from  Livy,  and  immediately  after  breakfast  he 
would  hear  his  sister,  Anna  Hanbury,  read  French — 
he  seemed  literally  to  have  time  for  everything.  The 
affairs  of  the  British  and  Foreign  School  Society 
D 


42        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1820. 

occupied  a  large  portion  of  his  time,  and  he  had 
much  correspondence  with  France  on  the  subject 
of  the  schools  he  had  been  the  means  of  estab- 
lishing. 

It  was  during  the  year  1820  that  my  father  came  to 
the  Yearly  Meeting  with  the  intention  of  taking  me 
back  with  him  ;  and  soon  after  the  Yearly  Meeting  was 
over  I  began  to  prepare  for  my  departure.  Many  of 
my  friends  came  to  take  leave  of  me,  and  brought  me 
little  keepsakes,  principally  books,  all  of  which  I  have 
to  this  day.  I  felt  more  than  I  could  well  express, 
and  I  scarcely  venture  to  think  of  all  I  was  leaving 
behind.  I  endeavoured  to  look  forward  to  everything 
which  would  give  me  pleasure;  seeing  my  beloved 
mother  again,  my  brothers,  and  sisters — the  pleasant 
home  of  my  childish  days ;  yet  I  think  that  which 
gave  me  the  most  delight,  was  the  prospect  of  un- 
packing my  trunk  and  displaying  my  many  treasures. 
Never  shall  I  forget  those  last  days  of  preparation  for 
the  journey. 

A  day  or  two  before  the  final  parting  M.  and  E. 
Sanderson,  who  had  been  most  kind  to  me,  and  whom 
I  often  used  to  visit,  came  to  take  leave  of  me.  There 
was  a  religious  opportunity,  during  which  Mary  San- 
derson engaged  in  supplication  for  me,  and  committed 
me  to  the  care  and  keeping  of  my  Heavenly  Father. 
R.  Christy  affectionately  addressed  me.  My  heart 
seemed  almost  ready  to  burst  at  the  time,  but  the  effect 
was  helpful  to  me,  as  I  think  it  enabled  me  to  look  to 
the  parting  with  more  calmness,  desiring  to  act  with 
conformity  to  the  Divine  will. 

About   the  middle  of   the   Sixth  Month,  1820,  we 


iS2o.]  REMARKABLE  PRESERVATION  43 

left  London  by  the  coach  for  Dover.  William  Pryor 
went  with  us  to  Paris.  I  knew  very  little  of  him,  and 
yet  I  was  pleased  I  was  not  leaving  everything  that  was 
English.  We  stayed  a  few  days  there,  as  my  father  had 
business  to  transact,  and  I  was  a  little  diverted  from  my 
trouble  at  parting,  by  being  William  Pryor's  guide  and 
interpreter. 

At  Paris  we  parted,  and  my  dear  father  and  I  pursued 
our  journey  south  by  diligence  ;  a  long  journey  then  it 
was.  My  father  was  most  affectionately  kind,  and  I  was 
amused  by  many  incidents  of  the  journey,  and  particu- 
larly by  the  people  being  unwilling  to  believe  that  I  was 
French.  One  man  tried  to  persuade  my  father  that  his 
daughter  must  have  been  exchanged  for  another,  for  it 
was  impossible  that  I  could  have  had  no  knowledge  of 
English  only  three  years  before. 

On  this  journey  an  incident  happened  which  I  have 
all  my  life  looked  upon  with  serious  feelings,  and 
I  hope  with  gratitude.  From  Lyons  we  went  by 
the  Rhone  in  a  large  boat  which  they  called  "Le 
Coche;"  it  was  before  steam  navigation,  and  the 
accommodation  was  very  bad.  The  boat  went  only 
by  the  force  of  the  current;  it  was  bound  for  Avig- 
non, but  some  of  the  passengers,  who,  like  our- 
selves, were  going  to  Nimes,  desired  to  be  put  in 
a  small  boat  to  be  landed  at  St.  Esprit,  just  below 
the  bridge,  as  by  that  means  we  save  time  and  dis- 
tance. There  were  six  of  us  in  the  boat,  besides  the 
luggage,  and  two  strong  men  at  the  oars;  altogether 
more  than  was  prudent  for  the  size  of  the  boat  and 
the  strength  of  our  men,  considering  the  force  of 
the  currerxt  of  that  rapid  stream,  just  then  at  its 


44        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.    [1820. 

greatest  height  from  the  melted  snows  of  Switzerland. 
We  passed  under  the  old  bridge,  and  were  frightfully 
tossed,  so  that  I  feared  we  should  have  been  engulfed 
by  the  larger  boat ;  we  were  at  last  set  loose,  and  our 
men  rowed  hard  to  stem  the  torrent,  and  make  for  the 
shore.  For  a  time  they  seemed  to  toil  in  vain;  the 
resistance  was  so  great  that  our  boat  turned  round 
three  times.  Our  boatmen  made  a  sign  that  we  should 
be  perfectly  still.  I  pressed  close  to  my  father,  he 
clasped  me  in  his  arms.  I  looked  in  his  face  and  saw 
in  it  the  marks  of  deep  anxiety,  but  calmness.  I 
endeavoured  to  compose  my  thoughts.  Not  a  word 
was  spoken,  though  I  believe  the  struggle  as  between 
life  or  death  lasted  five  or  ten  minutes.  Our  boatmen 
were  pale  with  terror,  large  drops  of  perspiration 
stood  upon  their  foreheads,  while  the  people  were 
fast  collecting  on  shore,  to  witness  the  sinking  of 
the  boat.  I  could  scarcely  bear  to  see  their  agitated 
look ;  never  before  or  since  have  I  felt  so  near  the 
confines  of  eternity.  After  awhile,  however,  the  eddy 
was  stemmed,  and  we  all  began  to  breathe ;  my 
father  then  shed  a  few  tears,  and  so  did  I,  but 
our  hearts  were  too  full  to  say  much.  The  people 
on  the  shore  shouted  at  our  approach,  and  received 
us  with  joy,  many  of  them  embracing  us,  saying  that 
they  never  witnessed  so  narrow  an  escape;  and 
they  as  well  as  the  boatmen  considered  that  it  was 
partly  owing  to  the  quietness  that  had  been  preserved 
by  all ;  this  I  think  was  greatly  promoted  by  the 
remarkable  composure  which  attended  my  dear  father, 
and  which  seemed  to  be  communicated  to  the  whole  of 
our  little  company.  I  have  heard  my  father  often  say  that 


1 820.]  IMPRESSIONS  ON  RETURN  TO  FRANCE.     45 

he  had  no  idea  but  that  we  should  be  engulfed,  and  he 
was  evidently  engaged  in  prayer.  This  preservation 
made  a  deep  impression  on  my  mind  at  the  time,  and 
I  have  never  forgotten  it.  The  circumstances  of  the 
case  can  be  best  understood  by  those  who  know  the 
place,  the  rapidity  of  the  Rhone,  and  the  swell  there 
is  just  above  the  bridge  of  St.  Esprit  when  the  river  is 
high. 

When  we  arrived  at  Nimes,  I  could  not  but  be 
struck  with  the  changed  appearance  of  everything; 
the  roads  and  the  streets  looked  narrower,  the  build- 
ings lower  and  more  insignificant  than  when  I  had 
last  seen  them,  they  scarcely  seemed  the  same,  for 
now  my  scale  of  comparison  was  wholly  changed.  I 
felt  very  anxious  to  get  to  Congenies,  and  as  we  drove 
from  Nimes  every  object  that  met  my  eye  was 
recognized,  but  diminished  in  size  and  beauty;  how- 
ever the  drive  was  one  of  uncommon  pleasure  and 
throbbing  emotion.  My  dear  mother  was  overjoyed 
to  see  me;  she  would  scarcely  have  known  me,  so 
grown  and  altered  was  I.  The  whole  of  the  village 
was  in  commotion  at  the  arrival  of  "  little  Christine," 
and  I  should  think  that  more  than  a  hundred  persons 
visited  us.  The  next  day  it  was  the  same,  and  the 
next ;  and  a  few  days  after  I  had  to  go  round,  and 
return  the  visits  of  the  most  respectable  of  the  neigh- 
bours and  friends.  This,  irksome  as  it  was,  kept 
up  a  sort  of  excitement,  that  prevented  my  fretting 
much  after  those  that  I  had  left.  I  had  much  pleasure 
in  seeing  my  dear  mother  again,  my  brothers  and 
sisters,  relations  and  friends,  who  were  all  very  kind 
to  me;  but  after  the  first  few  weeks  of  novelty  and 


46      MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1820. 

excitement,  I  began  to  feel  how  thoroughly  I  was 
unfitted  for  those  pursuits  in  which  I  had  before 
taken  pleasure,  and  which  occupied  those  by  whom 
I  was  surrounded.  I  own  I  was  a  little  flat  at  times. 
My  dear  mother  had  made  up  a  nice  bed  for  me 
in  a  large  room  in  which  my  sisters,  Elizabeth  and 
Lydie,  slept;  but  on  my  intimating  that  I  should 
like  to  have  a  room  to  myself,  a  little  room  which  was 
over  the  staircase  was  given  up  to  me,  and  I  had  the 
great  pleasure  of  fitting  it  up,  and  furnishing  it  ac- 
cording to  my  fancy.  I  mention  this  to  show  how 
ready  my  dear  parents  were  to  do  all  in  their  power 
to  make  my  return  to  them  agreeable ;  and  for  all  this 
none  of  my  brothers  or  sisters  ever  evinced  the  least 
jealousy,  but  all  endeavoured  to  do  their  part  in 
adding  to  my  comfort. 

Soon  after  my  arrival  at  home,  Samuel  Cousins,  of 
Guernsey,  who  had  been  an  inmate  in  my  father's 
house  some  time  before,  again  formed  part  of  our 
family.  He  was  an  interesting  young  man,  of  a  most 
romantic  mind,  and  he  and  my  brother  Christophe,  who 
then  kept  the  school,  spent  much  time  in  attending 
to  the  little  garden  in  front  of  the  house,  and  I  found 
I  could  join  them  in  many  of  their  pursuits.  But 
other  English  Friends  came  to  reside  amongst  us, 
and  my  home  was  altogether  a  very  happy  one. 
Priscilla  Scales  first,  and  then  Martha  Savory,  and 
Christiana  Price  spent  many  months  at  Congenies 
and  the  neighbourhood,  and  they  often  asked  me  to 
visit  them. 

But  the  circumstance  which  added  the  most  to  my 
comfort  at  this  time  was  the  residence  of  James  and 


1820.]  INTERNAL    CONFLICTS.  47 

Elizabeth  Charleton,  with  their  three  sons,  Robert, 
James,  and  Edward,  in  a  part  of  my  father's  house 
which  was  fitted  up  for  them ;  they  came  some  time 
after  the  other  Friends.  They  requested  me  to  give 
their  sons  lessons  in  French,  &c.  This  was  a  very 
nice  occupation  for  me.  It  helped  me  to  keep  up 
what  I  had  learned,  and  supplied  me  with  money,  so 
that  I  was  able  to  buy  my  own  clothes.  I  have  often 
looked  upon  this  circumstance  as  peculiarly  favourable 
to  me,  proving  that  there  has  been  in  a  striking  manner 
a  providing,  as  well  as  a  protecting  care  over  me  in  the 
different  stages  of  my  life.  But,  though  this  is  the 
sense  that  now  attends  me,  and  has  often  attended  me 
since ;  so  as  to  raise  in  my  heart  a  feeling  of  gratitude 
to  the  Lord  for  His  preserving  mercy,  yet  on  looking 
back  to  the  time,  I  feel  constrained  to  acknowledge, 
that  this  was  not  the  feeling  of  my  heart  at  that 
period.  It  was  rather  a  time  of  lukewarmness  and 
indifference,  in  which  various  temptations  were  pre- 
sented to  my  mind,  some  of  which  I  fell  into ;  and  had 
not  again  a  rescuing  power  been  manifested  on  my 
behalf,  I  might  have  been  altogether  led  astray.  How 
can  I  sufficiently  magnify  the  name  of  the  Lord  for  his 
marvellous  love  ! 

My  situation  again  fostered  that  pride  and  love  of 
approbation  from  which  I  had  before  suffered.  I 
was  very  fond  of  the  society  of  those  who  flattered  me, 
but  still  I  was  fond  of  good  people,  and  I  tried  to  make 
myself  good.  I  read  good  books,  and  I  struggled  hard 
against  that  which  was  considered  wrong,  and  at 
times  I  thought  I  had  the  victory  and  felt  a  degree  of 
aomfort ;  but  I  made  but  little,  if  any,  progress.  I  had 


48      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1820. 

not  a  clear  view  of  the  Gospel,  I  had  not  come  to  the 
sense  of  my  need  of  a  Saviour,  to  the  necessity  of 
knowing  that  my  sins  were  forgiven  for  His  name's 
sake,  and  therefore  my  religion  was  not  of  the  heart. 
I  needed  the  experience  of  the  love  of  Jesus,  through 
whom  we  become  reconciled  to  God  whom  we  have 
offended,  and  whom  we  can  love  only  because  he  has 
first  loved  us.  This  description  may  answer  for 
much  of  my  life  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and 
twenty-four.  But  through  all  I  was  not  forsaken,  and 
a  desire  to  be  preserved  from  openly  offending  my 
Heavenly  Father  was  maintained  in  my  soul,  and  as  far 
as  I  knew  my  Saviour,  I  desired  to  confess  Him  amongst 
men.  Our  friend  Priscilla  Scales  was  a  minister, 
and  she  was  the  first  person  for  whom  I  interpreted. 
About  this  time  I  had  to  perform  the  same  office 
for  Martha  Savory,  and  once  or  twice  for  Deborah 
Stephenson,  who  paid  us  a  short  visit,  being  in  the 
South  with  her  sister  on  account  of  her  health.  Thus 
early  was  I  brought  into  that  engagement  which  has 
afforded  me  so  much  satisfaction  during  so  great  a 
part  of  my  life. 

I  remained  at  home  from  Sixth  Month,  1820,  to 
Tenth  Month,  1822.  It  was  a  favoured  time  for  the 
little  Church  under  our  name  in  France,  for  we  had 
the  company  almost  all  that  period,  and  after  I  left,  of 
the  Friends  I  have  mentioned.  The  Society  numbered 
more  then  than  it  does  now.  The  diminution  has  been 
chiefly  from  the  death  of  several  promising  young 
people,  and  of  many  valuable  members  in  the  prime 
of  life ;  but  several  causes  have  operated,  and  still 
operate,  against  the  increase  by  convincements.  First, 


1822.]  "FRIENDS"  IN  FKANCE.  49 

the  want  of  a  real  concern  for  religion  in  many  of  the 
members  of  the  body ;  and,  secondly,  the  strong  pre- 
judice which  obtains  in  a  population  whose  ancestors 
suffered  so  much  from  persecution,  against  changing 
the  religion  of  their  fathers ;  for  it  is  only  from  the 
Protestants  that  these  "  convincements "  can  be  ex- 
pected. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY     CONTINUED. 

Life  in  the  South  of  France — Second  visit  to  England — Interesting 
time  on  the  way  with  the  "  Beguins  "  at  St.  Etienne. 

THE  mode  of  living  in  the  villages  in  the  South  of 
France  has  many  charms  for  those  who  love 
simplicity  and  ease,  and  who  are  imbued  with 
the  poetry  of  primitive  life.  It  approaches  more  to 
having  all  things  in  common  than  anything  I  know. 
You  can  go  in  and  out  .of  each  other's  houses  without 
the  least  restraint.  If  one  person  has  fruit,  the  other 
partakes  of  it.  It  is  a  constant  interchange  of  kind 
offices,  which  is  little  understood  elsewhere.  All  sorts 
of  implements  for  domestic  use  or  for  agriculture — even 
looms — are  constantly  lent  and  borrowed ;  and  it  not 
unfrequently  happens,  rather  inconveniently  sometimes, 
that  things  are  taken  without  ceremony  and  without 
leave :  and  although  a  person  who  has  been  accustomed 
to  highly  civilised  life  may  feel  the  want  of  refinement, 
and  of  intellectual  society,  yet  there  is  so  much  of  real 
kindness,  of  devotedness  in  affliction,  and  of  readiness 
to  oblige,  that  there  is  not  a  little  to  give  up  when  an 
exchange  is  made  for  a  life  more  artificial  and  refined. 
This  I  was  soon  to  feel.  I  had  been  more  than  two 
years  settled  at  Congenies,  and  had  but  little  idea  of 
again  leaving  it,  when  an  invitation  was  sent  for  me 
from  William  Allen. 
(So) 


1822.]  SECOND   VISIT  TO  ENGLAND.  51 

Since  I  had  left  England  my  dear  friend  Mary  Allen 
had  been  united  in  marriage  to  Cornelius  Han  bury  ; 
and  although  she  was  still  much  with  her  father,  other 
claims  deprived  him  of  her  help  in  many  ways,  and 
he  was  in  want  of  some  one,  as  far  as  possible  to  take 
the  place  of  his  daughter.  From  our  first  acquaintance 
I  had  called  him  my  English  father,  and  it  was  very 
natural  that  I  should  be  thought  of.  The  invitation  was, 
however,  at  first  only  for  a  year.  It  was  thus  easier  for 
my  dear  parents  again  to  part  with  me,  and  for  me  to 
leave  them.  I  knew,  as  I  thought,  what  I  was  going  to, 
but  I  felt  deeply  the  approaching  separation,  and  was 
at  times  almost  ready  to  flinch  from  it.  Many  were 
the  tears  I  shed,  and  great  the  struggle  of  conflicting 
feelings  which  I  had  to  pass  through.  My  dear  father, 
however,  encouraged  me,  and  the  attractions  I  had  in 
England  were  great.  Little  did  I  then  foresee  how 
much  it  involved.  It  is  well  for  us  that  the  future 
is  hidden  from  us ;  otherwise  how  could  beings  such 
as  we  are,  take  a  single  step?  Martha  Savory  (after- 
wards Yeardley)  was  then  on  the  point  of  returning  to 
England,  after  a  residence  of  nearly  a  year  at  Con- 
genies.  My  dear  father  had  for  some  time  wished  to 
visit  a  company  of  serious  persons,  who  resided  at  and 
near  St.  Etienne,  in  the  Department  de  la  Loire ;  a  sect 
who  were  called  "  Beguins,"  who  had  separated  from 
the  Roman  Catholics.  They  had  for  many  years 
existed  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that  place,  where 
no  Protestants  resided.  They  were  accustomed  to  the 
reading  of  the  Bible,  which  they  held  in  high  venera- 
tion ;  and  were  distinguished  by  a  great  hatred  of 
priestcraft,  and  by  a  feeling  of  equality  and  fraternity 


52        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1820. 

among  themselves — but  they  had  no  form  of  public 
worship.  About  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing, 
some  individuals  amongst  them  had  been  brought 
to  clearer  views  of  the  Gospel  than  those  who  sur- 
rounded them.  It  was  these  interesting  persons 
that  my  father  wished  to  visit,  and  Martha  Savory 
feeling  the  same  desire,  it  was  decided  that  they 
should  go  on  her  way  to  England.  I  was  therefore 
of  the  party ;  Elizabeth  Charleton  also ;  and  Priscilla 
Scales,  who  had  some  months  before  left  France 
for  England,  again  returned,  and  met  us  at  Lyons, 
to  which  place  we  went  by  diligence,  and  from 
thence  we  set  off  together  in  a  bad  carriage,  and 
after  a  fatiguing  ride  of  many  hours,  over  a  rough 
mountainous  road,  a  distance,  I  believe,  of  only  thirty 
English  miles,  we  arrived  at  St.  Etienne — the  Shef- 
field of  France  ;  not,  however,  nearly  so  important  then 
as  it  is  now.  This  was  really  a  missionary  adventure, 
and  although  I  was  young,  and  as  it  were  acci- 
dentally of  the  party,  I  was  deeply  interested,  and  shall 
never  forget  the  impressions  I  then  received.  We  first 
went  to  the  inn,  and  the  next  day  drove  to  St.  Jean  de 
Bonne  Faud,  a  mining  village,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  which  J.  T.  Price  had  set  up  a  steam-engine — the 
first  I  ever  saw.  My  father  acquainted  them  with  the 
intention  of  himself  and  the  Friends  to  settle  down 
for  a  little  time  amongst  them,  for  the  purpose  of 
becoming  acquainted  with  them,  and  of  having  some 
religious  intercourse  together.  This  information  was 
received  with  joy;  and  finding  that  most  of  those 
they  wished  to  see  resided  in  that  neighbourhood,  it 
was  concluded  to  hire  a  furnished  house,  which  was 


1822.]  THE   "BEGUINS."  53 

then  vacant,  and  to  remove  our  luggage  to  it.  I  took 
the  post  of  housekeeper  and  provider.  My  time  was  a 
good  deal  occupied,  so  that  I  felt  that  I  was  of  some  use 
in  this  mission  of  love. 

I  had  lime,  however,  to  accompany  the  Friends  in 
some  of  their  visits  to  these  simple  people,  many  of  whom 
had  strange  notions,  it  is  true,  and  had  much  that  was 
visionary  in  their  manner  of  comprehending  the  Gos- 
pel, while,  however,  there  were  many  simple,  believing 
Christians. 

There  was  in  the  house  where  we  lodged  a  large  room 
which  was  used  as  a  place  of  meeting,  and  almost  every 
day  large  companies  congregated,  and  meetings  were 
held,  in  which  much  was  communicated  by  my  dear 
father,  Martha  Savory,  and  sometimes  by  Priscilla 
Scales,  for  the  latter  of  whom  I  interpreted 

I  shall  never  forget  the  interest  which  was  excited 
amongst  the  people,  nor  how  eagerly  they  came  to 
the  meetings.  We  stayed  two  or  three  weeks  with 
them,  and  they  seemed  quite  prepared  to  hold  meetings 
after  the  manner  of  Friends;  that  is,  those  who  had 
been  enlightened  to  see  the  simplicity  and  spirituality 
of  the  Gospel.  A  meeting  was  then  established,  and 
held  for  a  considerable  time  at  St.  Etienne:  and  at 
other  places  they  met  in  their  own  homes.  They  were 
in  regular  communication  with  my  father,  and  I  believe 
he  visited  them  more  than  once.  I  have  several  letters 
in  my  possession  from  my  father  to  Pierre  Brossi,  one  of 
their  number,  and  an  epistle  to  the  company,  written  a 
short  time  after  we  were  there,  bearing  the  date  5th  of 
Fourth  Month,  1824. 

On    leaving    St.    Etienne    my    father    accompanied 


54        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1820. 

Martha  Savory  and  myself  from  Lyons  to  Macon  by 
the  boat,  and  here  we  parted,  my  father  returning  home. 
We  proceeded  to  Chalons  by  boat,  and  thence  by 
diligence  to  Paris.  Here  we  were  detained  some  time 
before  I  could  obtain  a  passport.  After  going  from 
one  office  to  another  for  three  or  four  days  without 
success,  we  found  that  the  difficulty  arose  from  a  sus- 
picion that  I  was  running  away  without  my  parents' 
consent,  and  that  both  Martha  Savory  and  I  were  dis- 
guised. (These  were  the  days  of  the  Bourbons  under 
the  Restoration.) 

When  the  difficulty  was  at  -last  surmounted  the 
season  was  far  advanced  for  such  a  journey.  The 
weather  was  very  rough,  and  when  we  arrived  at 
Calais  we  found  that  the  packets  had  not  gone  for 
several  days,  and  that  it  was  doubtful  when  the  next 
would  leave.  It  was,  in  fact,  two  days  before  we  em- 
barked. The  packet  boat  was  named  the  Arrow.  It 
was  crowded  with  passengers ;  we  could  not  find  a 
place  downstairs  and  had  to  stay  on  deck  in  heavy 
rain.  The  weather,  which  seemed  calm  when  we  left, 
soon  became  very  stormy;  the  wind  rose  and  tossed 
our  little  bark  in  a  way  that  I  had  not  before  witnessed, 
nor  have  I  since.  It  seemed  at  times  as  though  it 
would  either  break  to  pieces  or  be  swallowed  by  the 
next  wave.  For  a  little  time  I  admired  the  grandeur 
of  the  scene,  as  our  vessel  plunged,  as  though  it 
could  never  rise  again,  and  then  rode  on  the  wave  as 
if  it  had  been  a  piece  of  cork ;  but  soon  I  became  so 
ill  that  I  was  quite  overpowered.  The  passengers  were 
lashed  to  the  masts,  and  the  men  who  worked  the 
ship  were  tied  with  ropes.  It  was  a  steamer,  but  the 


1822.]     DANGEROUS  VOYAGE  TO  ENGLAND.  55 

engine  was  stopped.  At  first  we  felt  our  awful  situa- 
tion. My  companion  was  very  ill  and  yet  she  could 
play  on  the  name  of  our  vessel,  saying  to  me — "  Oh, 
my  poor  Christine,  our  'arrow'  is  not  rightly  shot." 
Soon  I  became  so  overpowered  with  sea-sickness,  so 
wet  and  cold  with  the  dashing  of  the  waves  which 
frequently  went  over  our  heads,  that  I  almost  lost 
all  sensation  of  fear.  We  were  both  carried  down  and 
laid  on  the  cabin  floor,  and  I  believe  I  should  not  have 
cared  if  I  had  been  thrown  overboard.  We  were  in 
very  great  danger  of  being  dashed  on  the  English 
shore,  and  though  bound  for  Dover  could  not  land 
there,  and  had  to  go  to  Ramsgate.  Our  friends,  the 
Horsnaills,  who  expected  us,  were  on  the  shore  wit- 
nessing with  the  greatest  anxiety  the  distress  of  the 
vessel  without  being  able  to  give  any  assistance ;  how- 
ever, after  beating  about  for  ten  hours,  we  safely  entered 
the  harbour  of  Ramsgate.  It  was  late  at  night,  rainy 
and  dark,  and  we  had  no  one  there  to  meet  us ;  and  it 
was  midnight  before  we  could  take  off  our  wet  clothes. 
We  had  to  wait  two  hours  at  the  Custom  House,  but  we 
felt  thankful  that  our  lives  had  been  preserved,  with 
those  of  the  many  who  were  with  us.  Next  day  we 
went  to  Dover,  as  we  were  expected  there,  and  thence 
to  London. 


NOTE  AS  TO  THE  "  BEGUINS.  " — It  would  be  an  interesting  sub- 
ject of  inquiry  whether  these  persons  were  connected  with  the 
"Beguins"  of  the  Middle  Ages,  who  appear  to  have  been  numer- 
ous in  the  South  of  France.  (See  Gieseler's  Text  Book  of  Ecclesi- 
astical History,  vol.  ii.,  p.  305,  and  vol.  iii.,  pp.  91,  92;  also  Lim- 
borch's  History  of  the  Inquisition,  pp.  103-110.) 


CHAPTER    V. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY   CONTINUED. 
Life  with  Maty  Hanbury — Her  illness  and  death. 

I  COME  now  to  an  important  time  of  my  life. 
When  I  first  came  to  England  I  was  a  mere 
child,  looked  upon  as  such  by  the  whole  family ;  now, 
though  only  two  years  and  a  half  had  elapsed,  I  was 
to  take  the  charge  of  William  Allen's  family  as 
regarded  the  establishment  at  Newington.  Anna 
Hanbury  was  in  feeble  health  and  could  have  no 
responsibility  upon  her.  The  charge  would  have  been 
heavy  indeed,  had  not  dear  Mary  Hanbury  been  likely 
to  pass  part  of  her  time  at  Newington,  and  be  always 
ready  to  advise  me,  and  to  take  the  serious  responsi- 
bility. I  arrived  at  Plough  Court  about  the  end  of 
the  Eleventh  Month,  1822.  William  Allen  was  then 
on  the  Continent  with  Daniel  Hanbury,  whither 
he  had  gone  to  attend  the  Congress  of  the  Sove- 
reigns at  Verona;  but  they  returned  home  about  a 
month  after. 

In  her  journal  Christine  Majolier  writes : 
First  Month,  2gth,  18.13. — I  hope  I  am  thankful  for 
my  return    to  England.      I    have  often  thought  lately 
that   the   opening  was   rather   remarkable,   as   no  one 
knows   but   myself  the   temptations  I  was   under,  and 
it  has  seemed  to  me,  as  if  I  saw  the  hand  of  a  kind 
(56) 


1823.]  LIFE   WITH  MARY  HAN  BURY.  57 

interposing  Providence.  How  loudly  does  this  call  for 
thankfulness  on  my  part !  I  have  been  astonished  in 
considering  how  remarkably  way  has  been  made  for  me, 
but  I  feel  thoroughly  unworthy  of  it.  My  desire  has 
been  of  late,  and  particularly  to-day,  that  I  might  fully 
surrender  my  will  and  myself  into  the  hands  of  Him 
who  careth  for  us,  even  when  we  may  be  wandering  far 
from  Him,  as  has  been  my  case. 

Second  Month,  gfh,  1823,  First-day, — Went  to  Devon- 
shire-house Meeting.  Elizabeth  Fry  was  there,  and 
spoke  beautifully.  William  Allen  also,  as  well  as 
dearest  Mary.  I  thought  what  she  said  was  very 
sweet.  I  was,  I  hope,  favoured  with  a  little  feeling  of 
good  this  morning,  but  I  did  not  keep  enough  under 
it.  I  was  very  much  impressed  during  the  meeting 
with  the  necessity  of  watchfulness  and  a  fear  of  being 
lukewarm.  May  I  more  and  more  seek  for  help  and 
direction,  for  it  is  those  only  who  .seek  who  can  expect 
to  find ;  but  there  is  a  danger  of  my  being  too  active 
and  seeking  in  my  own  will  and  way,  and  of  relying 
on  my  own  strength.  I  earnestly  desire  to  be  pre- 
served from  it,  seeing  that  of  ourselves  we  can  do 
nothing. 

To  return  to  the  Autobiography: 

The  house  at  Plough  Court  looked  very  different 
from  what  it  did  when  I  was  there  before.  The  two 
parlours,  which  had  been  more  like  committee  rooms, 
were  refurnished  and  looked  very  comfortable.  My 
beloved  friend,  Mary  Han  bury,  as  the  wife  of  Cornelius 
Hanbury,  was  now  the  mistress  of  it.  I  cannot 
describe  the  sensation  I  had  when  I  found  myself  in 
E 


58         MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M,  ALSOP.     [1823. 

the  same  place  with  everything  about  me  so  altered, 
and,  as  it  were,  so  changed  myself.  Soon,  however,  I 
felt  the  greatest  pleasure  at  being  again  with  my 
beloved  Mary :  changed  in  some  respects  she  was,  but 
more  angelic  if  possible.  There  was  less  constraint 
about  her  and  more  true  enjoyment ;  she  seemed  set 
free  from  some  of  the  bonds  which  had  been  about 
her ;  she  was  much  less  held  by  little  things,  and  had 
more  true  joy  and  peace  in  believing ;  this  she  ac- 
knowledged to  me  more  than  once.  She  received  me, 
not  as  her  little  pupil,  but  as  her  friend  and  sister  ;  and 
in  every  respect  she  treated  me  as  such.  She  installed 
me  at  Stoke  Newington,  telling  the  servants  that  she 
was  no  longer  the  mistress  of  that  family,  the  care  of 
which  was  to  devolve  on  me. 

The  few  months  which  were  thus  spent  were  a 
period  of  true  enjoyment.  Seldom  have  I  seen  one 
who  looked  forward  with  more  pleasure  to  the  prospect 
of  becoming  a  mother.  Once  or  twice  only  did  she 
allude  to  the  subject  with  any  degree  of  apprehension 
as  to  the  result.  She  said  that  the  circumstance  of 
her  mother  having  died  soon  after  her  own  birth  had 
made  her  father  anxious  respecting  her;  "but,"  she 
added,  "I  do  not  feel  anxious;  the  result  is  in  better 
hands  than  our  own,  and  I  do  not  see  why  I  should  not 
do  very  well ;  but  should  it  be  otherwise,  and  should 
it  be  the  Divine  will  that  I  should  leave  a  helpless 
infant  behind  me,  I  shall  leave  it  to  thee."  She  said 
this  with  some  emotion.  I  believe  it  was  at  the 
same  time  that  she  added,  "  But,  my  dear,  should  I 
live  to  have  ten  children  thou  wilt  always  seem  like 
the  eldest."  And  bright  indeed  were  the  prospects  of 


1823.]  LIFE  WITH  MARY  HANBURY.  59 

future  happiness  which  she  seemed  to  have  ;  too  bright, 
it  often  appeared  to  me,  to  be  natural.  Thus  truly  was 
her  path  smoothed  to  the  tomb  j  her  work  was  accom- 
plished, and  there  was  nothing  to  sadden  the  few 
months  that  it  was  my  privilege  to  be  with  her,  except 
now  and  then,  when  the  thought  came  over  me  that 
possibly  she  might  not  be  long  with  us.  She  left  to 
my  taste  and  judgment  all  the  necessary  preparations, 
and  often  said,  "  Now  that  thou  art  here  I  have  no 
more  anxiety."  My  home  was  now  at  Stoke  Newing- 
ton,  but  my  dearest  Mary  spent  a  good  deal  of  time 
there. 

William  Allen  went  regularly  to  town  directly  after 
breakfast,  and  returned  to  a  3  o'clock  dinner,  often 
bringing  company  with  him.  The  afternoon  he  spent 
in  his  study,  writing  letters,  &c.  The  letters  which  he 
wished  to  write  to  France  I  translated  for  him ;  but  he 
always  copied  them  afterwards  himself,  and  he  would 
send  the  English  also.  For  anything  of  importance  he 
used  the  oiled  and  black  paper,  so  as  to  produce  two 
copies  at  a  time.  He  was  very  neat  in  all  he  did. 

But  I  must  return  to  my  dear  Mary.  We  spent  much 
time  together  while  her  husband  and  her  father  were 
otherwise  engaged ;  and  never  shall  I  forget  the  loveli- 
ness of  her  character,  more  than  ever  evinced  during 
the  last  few  months  of  her  life.  It  seemed  all  through 
a  season  of  happiness,  and  often  of  playful  cheerful- 
ness, beyond  what  I  had  thought  she  was  capable  of. 
Her  countenance,  which  was  always  sweet  and  inter- 
esting, but  which  was  previously  sometimes  marked 
with  a  degree  of  gravity  which  seemed  unnatural  in 
one  so  young,  had  now  assumed  a  cheerful  and 


60         MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTIXE  M.  ALSOP     [1823. 

heavenly  aspect,  which,  as  I  sometimes  watched  her, 
unobserved,  thrilled  me  with  a  sensation  which  I 
cannot  describe,  under  the  impression  that  such 
sweetness  scarcely  belonged  to  earth ;  and  yet  her 
health  was  so  good  that  I  could  not  encourage  the 
thought,  that  in  a  few  short  weeks  we  should  all  be 
plunged  in  the  deepest  sorrow.  Her  attentions  to  her 
father  were  most  assiduous  and  tender.  When  I 
was  in  England  before,  he  was  often  weighed  down 
by  sorrow  at  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  had  died 
at  Geneva  the  previous  year.  He  needed  all  her 
sympathy,  and  she  made  everything  give  way  to 
his  wishes.  The  moment  she  heard  his  footsteps  she 
would  leave  whatever  she  was  doing  to  run  with  a 
sweet,  smiling  countenance,  to  attend  upon  him ; 
and  even  those  things  which  were  not  exactly  to 
her  own  taste  she  would  do  with  so  much  cheer- 
fulness, that  he  never  knew  but  that  she  enjoyed 
them  as  much  as  he  did ;  whereas  her  enjoyment  in 
them  was  the  pure  delight  of  pleasing  him.  This  was 
the  case  with  her  readings  from  Latin  authors,  in 
which  she  persevered  with  so  much  industry.  After 
she  married,  her  circumstances  were  a  little  altered, 
though  much  less  so  than  might  have  been  expected ; 
and  she  was  always  studying  how  she  might  contrive 
to  make  him  feel  the  change  as  little  as  possible ; 
at  the  same  time  she  was  always  glad  when  any 
opportunity  was  afforded  of  my  services  being  substi- 
tuted for  her  own  ;  as  though  she  was  endeavouring  by 
degrees  to  wean  him  from  those  endearing  attentions 
which  were  so  soon  to  cease.  What  the  loss  of  such 
a  child  was  to  such  a  man,  no  one  can  fully  appreciate 


1823  ]  MAR  Y  HAXBUR  Y'S  ILLNESS.  61 

but  those  who  had  the  opportunity  of  knowing  his 
character — so  dependent  on  the  little  attentions  of  a 
tenderly  loved  object.  Not  only  was  she  an  efficient 
helper  in  his  every  need,  but  even  a  wise  counsellor 
in  the  difficult  and  important  path  which  he  had  to 
tread. 

On  the  7th  of  the  Fifth  Month,  1823,  she  gave 
birth  to  a  son.  I  had  accompanied  her  to  Plough 
Court  the  day  before,  and  was  with  her  till  the  evening 
of  the  day  the  dear  child  was  born.  William  Allen 
expected  company  at  Stoke  Newington,  and  Anna 
Hanbury  was  not  in  a  state  to  remain  long  without 
me,  and  as  my  services  were  more  wanted  there  than  at 
Plough  Court,  dear  Mary  cheerfully  gave  me  up,  though 
it  was  reluctantly  that  we  parted;  but  she  said,  "Oh, 
thou  must  go,  for  my  dear  father  wants  thee  ;  but  come 
again  soon,  perhaps  the  day  after  to-morrow,  when 
my  dear  father  comes  to  town.  Farewell,  precious  /" 
That  was  the  term  she  generally  used  in  addressing 
me.  Little  did  I  think  that  I  then  heard  her  speak 
for  the  last  time.  Very  soon  after  this,  fever  came 
on.  I  came  to  town,  but  it  was  thought  best  I  should 
not  see  her,  as  it  was  necessary  she  should  be 
kept  very  quiet.  It  was  considered  advisable  that 
the  nurse  and  the  dear  child  should  go  to  Stoke 
Newington.  That  precious  .  treasure  was  committed 
to  my  care  when  he  was  only  five  days  old,  and  then, 
for  the  first  time,  I  remembered  her  words:  "If  I 
should  leave  a  helpless  infant,  I  will  leave  it  to  thee." 
Her  medical  attendant,  though  aware  of  her  great 
danger,  entertained  some  hope  of  her  recovery,  which 
seemed  to  depend  on  perfect  quiet  and  freedom  from 


62        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1823. 

excitement.  William  Allen  promised  to  take  me  to 
see  her  as  soon  as  this  was  no  longer  necessary ;  but 
the  fatal  symptoms  came  too  soon  to  allow  of  my 
seeing  her  again ;  and  she  was  so  peaceful  and  quiet, 
such  a  heavenly  atmosphere  pervaded  her  room,  that 
everything  that  might  have  tended  at  all  to  disturb  it 
was  carefully  avoided.  When  asked  by  her  husband 
if  she  was  happy,  she  said,  "Yes,  very;  I  have  nothing 
to  make  me  otherwise."  No  description  can  give  an 
idea  of  what  I  went  through,  during  those  few  days  of 
agonising  anxiety.  A  report  was  sent  several  times 
in  the  day,  and  on  the  day  of  her  death,  the  lyth  of 
Fifth  Month,  the  sorrowful  intelligence  was  brought 
down  to  me  by  Peter  Bedford.  Even  now,  when  nearly 
thirty  years  of  uncommon  vicissitudes  of  joy  and  sorrow 
have  passed  over  my  head,  I  cannot  forget  the  pang 
of  final  separation  -from  one  so  tenderly  loved,  nor 
recall  without  the  deepest  emotion  the  worth  of  my 
beloved  friend  ;  all  that  I  owed  her,  her  uncommon 
affection  for  me,  the  joy  of  my  young  and  glowing 
heart,  for  I  believe  I  loved  her  more  than  I  did  any 
one  else.  Neither  can  I  forget  the  heavenly  support 
which  was  then  mercifully  granted  to  those  most 
nearly  concerned — to  her  dear  father  and  husband ; 
a  support  which  powerfully  acted  upon  me :  for  how 
could  I  give  way  to  useless  sorrow  when  they  were 
meekly  endeavouring  to  bow  submissively  under  the 
stroke  ? 

William  Allen  soon  came  to  Stoke  Newington ;  he 
looked  calm,  but  distressed ;  and  for  some  time  was 
unable  to  speak.  He  then  said,  with  deep  emotion, 
"The  last  thing  she  said  to  me,  when  I  was  offering 


1823.]  DEA  TH  OF  MAR  Y  HANBUR  Y.  63 

her  a  little  wine,  was,  '  No  more,  dear  father,  until 
I  go  home,'  and  now,"  added  he,  "she  is  drinking 
it  new  in  the  heavenly  kingdom."  He  could  say 
no  more,  and  we  sat  silent  for  a  time.  He  asked 
after  the  child  and  wished  to  see  him,  but  was  much 
affected. 

Dear  Rebecca  Christy  came  to  Stoke  Newington 
and  was  affectionately  kind  to  me ;  she  was  the 
particular  friend  of  Mary's  mother,  and  had  been  like 
a  mother  to  her,  and  so  she  was  to  me.  I  felt  as  though 
I  could  never  be  happy  again,  and  as  though  my  heart 
would  break. 

The  day  of  the  funeral,  which  took  place  at 
Winchmore  Hill,  on  the  23rd,  was  a  very  solemn  one 
to  me,  never  to  be  forgotten.  It  being  just  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  the  attendance 
was  very  large ;  but  I  was  too  much  absorbed  in  my 
own  feelings  to  notice  much,  besides  the  touching 
thanksgiving  and  prayer  of  her  afflicted  parent  and 
bereaved  husband.  To  this  William  Allen  thus 
alludes  in  his  journal : — "  I  felt  bound  to  offer  my 
thanksgiving  for  the  belief  mercifully  granted,  that 
the  dear  deceased  had  been  admitted  into  the  man- 
sions of  rest  and  peace,  and  to  intercede  earnestly 
on  behalf  of  those  young  people  who  stood  around 
the  grave,  for  whom  her  soul  had  often  travailed, 
that  their  steps  might  be  directed  in  the  way  of 
peace,  praying  that  in  the  end  they  might  unite  with 
her  in  the  everlasting  'Hallelujah.''  Who  amongst 
those  present  was  more  strikingly  of  this  class  than 
myself?  Often,  indeed,  had  she  laboured  with  me, 
and  I  could  not  doubt  had  often  prayed  for  me.  I 


64       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1823. 

then  felt  as  though  I  had  done  nothing  for  her,  though 
I  had  loved  her  with  all  my  heart ;  and  now  that  every 
opportunity  for  evincing  my  love  to  her  was  past  for 
ever,  I  felt  bound  to  do  all  I  could  for  the  treasure  she 
had  left  behind,  and  for  the  comfort  of  those  she  had  so 
tenderly  loved. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY    CONTINUED. 

Life  at  Stoke  Newington — Wilberforce — Clarkson — Open  house  for 
foreigners. 

TO  find  myself  at  the  head  of  so  large  a  family,  with 
the  care  of  William  Allen's  aged  and  infirm  sister- 
in-law  devolving  partly  upon  me,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
precious  infant,  made  me  often  feel  as  though  I  must 
give  up.  But  in  this  great  extremity  help  was  graciously 
vouchsafed,  and  were  I  to  enumerate  the  many  bless- 
ings of  which  I  was  an  unworthy  partaker,  all  would 
be  astonished  who  read  these  lines.  I  trust  I  was 
preserved  from  bringing  any  reproach  on  the  cause, 
which  was  even  then  most  precious  to  me,  though  there 
was  a  vagueness  and  obscurity  in  my  religious  opinions 
which  greatly  impeded  my  progress  in  best  things.  I 
loved  what  was  good,  but  I  was  in  a  great  degree  a 
stranger  to  that  peace  which  proceeds  from  a  sense  of 
forgiveness  of  sin,  through  repentance  towards  God,  and 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  of  that  love,  through 
which  by  a  crucified  and  risen  Lord  our  ways  are  estab- 
lished. In  short,  I  did  not  understand  the  Gospel  as  a 
message  of  " glad  tidings  *l  I  went  heavily  on  my  way, 
often  going  backward  rather  than  forward  ;  but  through 
infinite  mercy  I  was  never  quite  left  without  a  desire 
after  better  things,  and  a  degree  of  thankfulness  for  the 
many  blessings  of  which  I  was  a  partaker.  Rebecca 

(65) 


66        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1823. 

Christy  was  a  faithful  and  kind  friend  to  me,  and  a  great 
help  in  some  of  my  difficulties  ;  and  Isabella  Harris  was 
also  most  kind  in  aiding  me  with  her  advice  in  the  charge 
of  the  dear  infant. 

The  many  subjects  of  interest  which  had  previously 
occupied  William  Allen's  mind  required  close  attention; 
and  he  entered  into  them  again  with  activity,  though  his 
ardour  was  somewhat  subdued  by  bitter  sorrow.  Hannah 
Kilham's  concern  for  Africa ;  .the  British  and  Foreign 
Schools ;  the  Greeks  ;  his  agricultural  experiments ;  and 
the  establishment  of  a  "school  for  boys  in  the  Lordship 
Road,  Stoke  Newington,  were  the  prominent  objects. 
He  often  .had  interviews  with  leading  men,  in  which  I 
frequently  went  with  him,  that  he  might  not  be  alone  in 
his  long  drives.  Sometimes  we  took  the  dear  child  and 
his  nurse,  as  he  became,  by  degrees,  an  object  of  great 
interest  to  his  grand-father. 

Soon  after  dear  Mary's  death  I  became  acquainted 
with  William  Wilberforce,  when  he  and  his  wife  dined 
at  Stoke  Newington  for  the  first  time.  I  was  greatly 
interested  and  pleased  with  this  remarkable  man. 
His  vivacity  was  such  that  he  seemed  unable  to  speak 
on  any  interesting  subject  without  rising  from  his 
seat,  and  before  he  had  finished  his  speech  he  would 
be  at  the  other  end  of  the  room.  On  the  day  of  his 
visit  we  walked  to  the  cottages  in  the  Lordship  Road, 
where  William  Allen  was  conducting  his  agricultural 
experiments.  I  had  the  honour  of  walking  with  the 
great  man,  who,  however,  took  little  notice  of  me,  but 
hummed  a  tune  most  of  the  way,  except  when  he 
wished  to  say  something  to  William  Allen ;  upon 
which  he  would  leave  me,  say  what  he  had  to  say,  and 


1823.]          WILBEKFORCE  AXD    CLAKKSOX.  67 

then  almost  mechanically  offer  me  his  arm",  and  go  on 
singing  his  hymn.  At  the  cottages  he  was  weighed  in 
the  scale,  and  though  many  have  had  the  opportunity 
of  recording  the  talents  of  Wilberforce,  few  have  been 
able  to  tell  his  weight ;  and  this,  insignificant  as  it  is, 
may  give  some  idea  of  his  person,  and  confirm  the 
saying,  that  the  mind  is  the  standard  of  the  man.  He 
weighed,  including  the  5  Ibs.  for  the  iron  stays  which 
he  wore,  76  Ibs. 

Thomas  Clarkson  was,  I  think,  that  year  in  London. 
I  had  seen  him  many  times  when  I  was  in  England 
before,  as  he  used  generally  to  be  at  Plough  Court 
during  the  time  of  the  Yearly  Meeting;  but  I  could 
not  then  appreciate  his  character.  He  then  seemed 
only  like  an  absorbed  old  man,  who  was  too  much 
taken  up  with  grave  concerns  to  take  notice  of  me,  and 
who  seldom  spoke  to  me,  unless  it  was  to  ask  me  to  do 
something  for  him.  He  was  very  precise,  and  always 
gave  his  orders  in  very  explicit  terms,  with  a  good 
deal  of  emphasis.  "  Now,  you  French  girl,  go  down 
into  the  shop,  or  into  the  counting-house,  and  ask 
Daniel,  or  Cornelius,  or  John  Barry,  for  two  or  tftree 
sheets  of  paper,  on^  good  pen,  and  two  or  three 
wafers."  But  now  as  I  understood  more  what  and  who 
he  was,  my  attention  was  directed  to  him  ;  and  I  have 
often  enjoyed  hearing  him  relate  to  a  large  company  the 
different  adventures  he  had  met  with  in  his  researches 
into  the  evils  of  the  slave-trade  and  slavery.  This 
he  would  always  do  with  his  head  down  and  his  eyes 
shut,  until  aroused  by  the  recital  of  something  very 
atrocious.  Then  his  whole  frame  would  become  ani- 
matedj  his  countenance,  which  was  not  remarkably 


68      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE   M.  ALSOP.     [1823. 

striking,  would  be  lighted  up,  and  that  noble  enthu- 
siasm, which  enabled  him  to  go  through  so  much  self- 
denying  labour,  became  visible  in  every  feature,  and  the 
indignation  of  his  heart  at  the  wrongs  inflicted  on  his 
fellow-men  would  give  to  his  voice  a  sort  of  hollow  tone, 
which  could  but  raise  the  same  feelings  in  his  auditors. 
He  was  extremely  minute  and  particular  in  all  that  he 
did,  generally  preferring  to  wait  on  himself,  and  doing 
everything  that  required  to  be  well  done  with  his  own 
hands.  He  never  allowed  anyone  to  put  his  letters  into 
the  post  when  it  was  possible  for  him  to  do  it  himself. 
At  Plough  Court  he  felt  thoroughly  at  home.  There 
was  one  room  only  in  which  he  liked  to  sleep.  It  was 
called  the  study,  over  the  kitchen,  and  he  had  to 
go  up  and  down  to  it  by  a  very  dark  staircase ;  but  he 
preferred  being  in  his  own  room.  I  used  to  fancy 
that  he  went  about  the  house  with  his  eyes  shut,  for  I 
have  often  had  to  get  out  of  his  way,  so  as  not  to  be 
stumbled  over,  when  I  was  a  child ;  but  this  might  be 
because  he  was  very  near-sighted.  He  never  used  spec- 
tacles, and  when  he  read  or  wrote  his  nose  almost 
touched  the  paper.  He  was  tall  and  large,  and  always 
stooped  unless  he  was  animated  in  speaking. 

Henry  Brougham  (afterwards  Lord  Brougham)  used 
often  to  be  with  William  Allen,  and  sometimes  came 
to  Stoke  Newington  to  dine.  He  did  not  make  much 
impression  on  me ;  perhaps  because  I  had  not  much 
opportunity  of  knowing  him  in  private.  His  person 
was  plain,  and  until  I  had  heard  him  as  a  public 
speaker  there  was  little  about  him  that  I  admired.  It 
was  not  so  with  Wilberforce,  Clarkson,  T.  F.  Buxton, 
or  Dr.  Lushington. 


1824.]  LIFE  AT   WILLIAM  ALLEA'  S.  69 

As  my  time  was  necessarily  much  occupied  with 
domestic  affairs,  company,  &c.,  I  could  not  be  of  so 
much  use  to  William  Allen  as  I  should  have  been,  had 
his  dear  daughter  lived :  he  therefore  took*  a  young 
man  to  act  for  him-  as  secretary,  though  I  still 
helped  him  in  his  foreign  correspondence.  He  used 
to  bring  the  shop  books  down  to  Stoke  Newington  to 
post.  He  seemed  to  enjoy  that  almost  mechanical 
employment ;  and  often  in  fine  weather  they  were 
carried  to  him  in  the  summer-house  by  his  faithful 
"Black  Tom,"  whom  he  had  rescued  from  slavery; 
the  dear  child  and  his  kind  attendant  going  also.  We 
used  to  spend  the  afternoon  most  pleasantly.  William 
Allen  liked  to  be  read  to  while  he  was  resting,  and  he 

much  enjoyed  having  his  grandson  near  him. 

t 
From  her  Journal : 

ist  of  Second  Month,  1824. — Sometimes  I  am  ready 
to  say,  "What  shall  I  do?  What  will  become  of  me 
if  I  remain  in  my  present  state?"  But  there  is  One 
who  can  break  the  stony  heart  and  save  even  "  to  the 
uttermost;"  and  this  thought  sometimes  gives  me  a 
little  hope.  But  I  am  afraid  of  taking  up  a  rest  short 
of  the  true  rest.  Oh,  may  I  press  after  an  increase  of 
watchfulness  over  my  words,  thoughts  and  actions. 
My  faith  is  at  a  very  low  ebb ;  much  seems  to  be  want- 
ing to  make  me  what  I  ought  to  be. 

Referring  to  the  attendance  of  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing, she  writes : 

Fifth  Month,  2Qth,  1824. — A  sweet  testimony  was 
read  on  behalf  of  our  precious  Mary.  My  feelings 


70        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1824. 

were  such  as  it  is  impossible  to  describe;  it  was 
like  opening  a  wound  which  was  not  healed ;  it 
renewed  every  pang.  I  felt  the  loss  that  I  and  many 
others  had  sustained ;  but  I  also  felt  her  great 
gain.  I  shed  tears  all  the  time  of  the  meeting,  and 
yet  did  not  feel  distressed.  May  her  sweet  example 
be  constantly  in  my  view,  and  may  it  please  my 
Heavenly  Father  to  bring  me  to  a  nearer  acquaint- 
ance with  Himself,  and  to  give  me  strength  to 
walk  in  that  narrow  way  which  only  brings  peace ! 
Oh,  for  a  clean  heart !  May  it  please  Thee,  O  Father, 
to  purify  it  and  make  it  fit  for  thyself.  I  feel  that  of 
myself,  I  can  do  nothing ;  but  to  Thee  all  things  are 
possible. 

Autobiography  continued : 

Susanna  Corder's  school  for  girls  was  established  at 
Stoke  Newington  about  this  time.  Before  they  were 
settled  with  a  master  I  gave  the  young  people  lessons 
in  French  ;  and  afterwards  had  the  advantage  of  taking 
lessons  with  the  masters  employed.  This  brought  me 
into  contact  with  many  whose  friendship  I  have  cher- 
ished through  life. 

The  establishment  of  this  school  was  a  blessing  for 
me.  I  much  enjoyed  the  pleasant  intercourse  with  the 
young  people,  mostly  younger  than  myself.  It  was  a 
relaxation  for  which  I  was  grateful,  considering  the 
serious  responsibility  which  rested  upon  me,  as  well  as 
the  real  labour  I  had  to  perform. 

In  the  summer  of  1824  we  formed  a  German  class, 
William  Allen,  J.  J.  Lister,  Edward  Harris,  Cornelius 
Hanbury,  Lucy  Bradshaw,  and  myself.  We  used  to 


1824.]  LINDFIELD.  71 

have  the  lesson  at  seven  in  the  morning ;  and,  with  all 
that  William  Allen  had  upon  him,  it  was  astonishing 
how  earnest  he  was  and  how  industriously  he  laboured. 
We  were  some  of  the  first  upon  whom  the  Hamil- 
tonian  plan  was  tried.  William  Allen  entered  with 
much  interest  into  all  that  related  to  improvement  in 
teaching,  and  he  was  very  sanguine  in  everything  he 
undertook. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  the  same  year  that  the 
establishment  at  Lindfield  began.  William  Allen  took 
me,  with  dear  Willie  and  his  nurse,  and  Charlotte 
Christy  (afterwards  the  wife  of  Edmund  Ashworth)  went 
with  us.  We  lodged  at  the  Norfolk  Hotel,  and  from 
thence  went  to  Lindfield.  This  was  my  first  visit  to  that 
place. 

William  Allen  called  on  many  of  the  inhabitants.  He 
remarks  in  his  journal  : — "  The  people  here  are  half 
a  century  behind  some  other  places  in  intelligence." 
He  had  many  difficulties  and  discouragements  to  con- 
tend with,  only  known  to  those  who  were  intimately 
connected  with  him. 

During  the  period  of  which  I  am  now  writing,  Wil- 
liam Allen  Was  in  what  might  be  called  "  the  strength 
of  his  day,"  and  he  most  zealously  gave  it  to  the 
service  of  his  Master,  and  to  the  good  of  his  fellow- 
creatures.  His  house,  to  its  full  extent,  and  often 
beyond  it,  was  ever  open  to  receive  all  the  strangers 
who  required  his  aid  and  protection  ;  and  as  memory 
glances  over  the  scenes  of  that  period  I  feel  bewildered 
by  the  motley  assemblage  which  presents  itself.  I 
see  men  of  all  countries  and  of  all  shades  of  colour ; 
Russians,  Germans,  Frenchmen,  Swedes,  Greeks, 


72        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1824. 

Italians,  and  Spaniards,  North  American  Indians, 
West  Indians,  and  many  of  the.  suffering  sons  of 
Africa  partaking  of  that  hospitality  which  he  knew  so 
well  how  to  bestow  without  the  least  ostentation ;  very 
little  difference  being  made  between  their  entertain- 
ment and  the  dinners  given  to  Lord  Brougham,  Dr. 
Lushington,  Wilberforce,  John  Smith  (of  Dale  Park), 
or  to  Gautier,  or  Alexander  Vinet  (of  Geneva),  or  other 
distinguished  foreigners.  Many  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
land  has  indeed  found  in  him  a  true  friend.  His 
journeys  on  .the  Continent  had  been  the  means  of 
his  becoming  acquainted  with  a  great  number  of  inter- 
esting persons,  and  these  often  recommended  their 
friends  to  him,  and  they  ever  found  an  open  door. 
This  may  give  a  little  insight  into  the  kind  of  life  which 
I  led  at  Stoke  Newington.  It  was  now  to  undergo  a 
great  change  ;  one  of  those  changes  which  but  few  have 
to  pass  through  even  once,  but  which,  with  some  varia- 
tion of  circumstances,  have  not  been  unfrequent  in  my 
life.  Bitter  have  been  some  of  the  draughts  which  I 
have  had  to  drink,  and  yet  most  gracious  has  been  the 
Hand  which  in  administering  them  has  still  crowned  me 
with  blessings,  unworthy  as  I  have  been. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

William  Allen's  third  marriage — Change  in  his  establishment — 
Christine  Majolier  visits  her  parents,  and  afterwards  returns 
to  England — Closer  union  with  Friends — Journey  on  the 
Continent  with  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Robson — Visit  to  the 
Queen  of  France  and  the  King  and  Queen  of  Wurtemburg — 
Review  of  the  journey — Increased  settlement  in  her  religious 
views. 

THE  marriage  of  William  Allen  to  his  third 
wife,  Grizell  Birkbeck,  in  the  Third  Month, 
1827,  naturally  led  to  a  change  in  the  position  of 
Christine  Majolier. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  express  (she  writes)  what  I  felt 
when  I  was  called,  by  this  most  beloved  friend  and 
adopted  father,  to  render  the  last  service  as  the  female 
head  of  his  family.  This  was  to  break  up  the  establish- 
ment at  Church  Street,  to  furnish  his  house  at  Lindfield, 
and  to  dispose  of  his  remaining  furniture.  William 
Allen  wished  that  the  change  should  be  as  little  felt 
by  me  as  possible  j  and  kindly  arranged  that  his  dear 
grandchild,  the  nurse,  and  myself  should  continue  in 
his  family. 

Soon  after  this  event  Christine  Majolier  paid  a 
visit  to  her  parents  at  Congenies.  Referring  to 
this,  she  writes : 

The  sweet  affection  of  my  dearest  father  and  mother 
I  most  gratefully  remember ;  and  the  few  months  then 
spent  amongst  those  so  dear  to  me  have  left  very 
F  (73) 


74        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1827. 

pleasant  recollections.  I  felt,  however,  that  although 
I  enjoyed  for  a  little  while  the  simple  rusticity  of  my 
native  place,  and  might  perhaps  after  my  first  stay  in 
England  have  become  reconciled  to  it  for  a  continu- 
ance; yet  now  I  was  quite  spoilt  for  it;  and  I  was 
anxiously  looking  forward  to  the  future,  when  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  William  Allen  wishing  for  my 
return. 

One  of  her  brothers  accompanied  her  to  Paris. 
Young  as  she  was,  with  her  religious  character  not 
yet  fully  established,  the  following  incident,  which 
occurred  during  this  journey,  may  serve  to  illus- 
trate the  variety  of  influences  to  which  she  was 
exposed.  Two  gentlemen  (their  travelling  com- 
panions in  the  diligence]  went  with  them  to  the 
same  hotel  at  Paris,  and,  being  anxious  to  give 
Christine  Majolier  and  her  brother  a  treat,  proposed 
to  take  them  to  the  Theatre  Franyais.  At  first 
Christine  Majolier  declined  to  accept  the  invitation, 
knowing  how  much  all  her  friends  would  disap- 
prove of  her  going  to  such  a  place ;  but  the  next 
day  she  reluctantly  yielded  to  their  earnest  solicita- 
tions ;  when,  on  taking  her  seat  in  one  of  the  boxes 
which  the  gentlemen  had  hired,  and  observing  the 
dissipated  looks  of  those  around  her,  she  felt  a  sort 
of  horror  at  being  in  such  a  place. 

I  durst  not  ask  to  go  out  (she  says),  but  I  was  very 
unhappy.  I  felt  ashamed  that  any  one  should  see  my 
Friends'  bonnet,  so  I  took  it  off,  and  put  it  under  the 
seat.  The  dresses,  both  of  the  men  and  women,  were 


1828.]         CLOSER    UNION   WITH  FRIENDS.  75 

such  as  I  was  ashamed  to  see.  Then  followed  one  of 
the  worst  of  the  representations.  I  shut  my  eyes  and 
dared  not  look,  and  at  my  solicitation  our  friends  left 
the  place.  I  have  never  forgotten  the  circumstance 
or  my  impressions  at  that  time ;  and  I  have  often 
felt  glad  that  the  scene  was  of  such  a  description, 
because  my  judgment  was  then  quite  settled ;  and 
though  some  who  are  in  the  practice  of  attending 
such  places  have  often  tried  to  persuade  me  to  go, 
telling  me  that  my  judgment  was  formed  on  the  worst 
example  possible,  I  have  never  felt  at  liberty  to  do  so, 
persuaded  as  I  am  that  if  those  who  attend  these  places 
are  not  shocked,  it  is  because  they  have  been  led  to  it 
by  degrees,  and  that  if  a  woman's  modesty  can  be  thus 
blunted,  the  influence  must  be  unfavourable  on  her 
mind. 

On  her  return  to  England,  Christine  Majolier 
went  to  reside  at  Paradise  Row,  Stoke  Newington, 
where  William  Allen  lived  after  his  marriage,  assist- 
ing as  before  in  the  charge  of  his  little  grandson, 
and  in  other  ways. 

Although,  as  we  have  seen,  Christine  Majolier 
had  been  connected  with  the  little  body  of  Friends 
in  the  south  of  France,  she  was  not  yet  in  actual 
membership  with  Friends  in  England ;  and  it  was 
not  until  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1828  that  she 
thought  it  right  to  apply  to  be  admitted  into  closer 
religious  fellowship  with  them.  In  her  journal  she 
writes  : 

Twelfth  Month,  $\st,  1828. — I  hope  that  it  is  with 
fervent  desires  that  I  may  be  preserved  from  doing 


76        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1829. 

anything  that  may  dishonour  the  high  profession  I  am 
making,  that  I  have  at  length  thought  it  right  to  apply 
to  be  received  as  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends 
in  this  country.  Although  I  feel  how  much  I  have 
come  short  of  what  their  principles  would  lead  to,  I  am 
convinced  that  they  are  the  principles  of  truth ;  and 
whether  Friends  think  it  right  to  receive  me  or  not,  I 
trust  it  will  always  be  my  desire  to  be  brought  nearer 
and  nearer  to  them. 

The  application  was  made  at  the  last  Monthly 
Meeting.  The  Friends  appointed  to  visit  me  were 
Dorcas  Coventry,  Elizabeth  Pryor,  and  Thomas  Beck. 
We  had  a  comfortable  little  opportunity,  in  which  I  was 
favoured  to  feel  that  the  step  was  not  a  wrong  one  ; 
and  my  present  desire  is,  that  it  may  have  the  effect 
of  bringing  me  nearer  to  what  is  good.  I  hope  that 
of  late  I  have  felt  the  subject  of  my  best  interest  of 
more  importance  than  at  some  other  times  ;  but  I  have 
so  often  fallen  again  into  a  state  of  indifference,  after 
what  appeared  to  me  good  impressions,  that  I  am  ready 
to  fear. 

Fifth  Month,  6th,  1829. — While  I  sat  at  the  meet- 
ing this  morning  under  a  feeling  of  my  insensibility 
as  to  the  things  that  belong  to  my  peace,  accompanied 
with  a  desire  to  see  more  clearly  what  is  my  best 
interest,  I  was  comforted  with  the  recollection  that 
the  poor  blind  man  who  had  his  eyes  opened  by  our 
Saviour,  at  first  saw  so  indistinctly  that  men  appeared  to 
him  as  trees  walking.  Yet  this  was  light ;  and  after 
a  second  touch  he  saw  clearly.  May  I  then,  if  my 
present  feelings  are  produced  by  the  touch  of  the 
heavenly  finger,  so  dwell  under  them,  that  in  due  time 


l%$l.]JOU£NEY   WITH  ELIZABETH  R OB 'SON.         77 


I  may  have  more  distinct  views  of  my  Heavenly 
Father,  and  of  His  will  respecting  me.  What  I  fear 
most  of  all  is,  lest  I  should  fall  into  a  state  of  indiffer- 
ence, and  take  up  a  rest  short  of  the  true  rest. 

In  allusion  to  a  religious  visit  from  two  Friends, 
Christine  Majolier  says : 

Fifth  Month,  iy//;,  1829. — Last  Second-day  I  had 
my  visit.  The  Friends  were  led  to  recommend 
humility  and  self-devotedness.  Indeed,  do  I  not  feel 
how  much  this  is  wanting?  Am  I  not  constantly 
prone  to  self-exaltation?  I  am,  I  hope,  thankful  in 
being  made  to  see  how  little  I  can  do  of  myself,  unable 
even  to  suppress  an  evil  desire,  or  keep  down  an  evil 
thought. 

In  1831  Christine  Majolier  accompanied  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  Robson  as  interpreter  in  a  religious 
visit  to  the  South  of  France  and  Germany.  It 
was  a  comparatively  new  service,  in  which  she 
had  much  to  learn.  She  entered  upon  it  with 
her  accustomed  ardour,  "  more,"  she  says,  "  as  if 
it  was  to  be  a  journey  of  pleasure,  than  one  of  so 
serious  a  character." 

They  left  London  for  Paris  Sixth  Month,  8th, 
1831,  and  whilst  waiting  there  for  arrangements 
about  a  carriage,  Elizabeth  Robson  felt  that  she 
ought  to  see  the  Queen.  This  brought  a  great 
weight  upon  Christine  Majolier,  as  upon  her  chiefly 
devolved  the  necessary  arrangements ;  but  they 
were  most  kindly  received  at  the  Palace  at  St. 


78     MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE    M.  ALSOP.     [1831. 

Cloud,  and  had  an  interview  of  rather  more  than 
an  hour  with  the  Queen.  Christine  Majolier 
writes  : 

The  Queen  was  standing  when  we  went  in,  but  she 
most  kindly  came  forward,  and,  taking  Elizabeth  Rob- 
son's  hand,  asked  us  to  sit  down  by  her  on  the  sofa. 
Though  my  heart  had  beat  a  little  at  the  prospect  of 
being  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  wife  of  my 
Sovereign,  I  had  no  sooner  sat  down  and  witnessed 
her  kind,  open,  and  really  affectionate  manner,  than 
all  idea  of  royalty  seemed  to  vanish,  and  I  could  have 
fancied  we  were  sitting  with  an  old  acquaintance. 

The  Queen  asked  several  questions;  whence  we 
came ;  what  was  the  object  of  our  journey  ?  &c.  She 
speaks  English  tolerably  well.  She  told  Elizabeth 
Robson  that  she  understood  it  perfectly,  and  that  she 
wished  her  to  speak  in  English.  This  was  a  great 
relief  to  me.  Elizabeth  Robson  explained  that  her 
husband  and  she  were  English,  but  that  I  was  French. 
She  looked  surprised,  and  turning  to  me  said,  "  O 
done  vous  etes  Francaise,  ma  chere."  I  told  her  that 
I  was  glad  to  be  able  to  say  that  I  was  one  of  Louis 
Philippe's  subjects,  at  which  she  bowed  her  head  and 
smiled.  She  then  asked  me  what  part  of  France  I 
came  from,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  there 
were  any  "Friends"  there.  She  wished  to  know  how 
many  there  were,  and  also  what  number  there  were  in 
England.  I  had  in  the  morning  translated  Elizabeth 
Robson's  London  certificate ;  and  after  having  ex- 
plained the  order  of  our  discipline  in  granting  certi- 
ficates to  our  ministers  for  any  religious  engagement, 
with  which  she  seemed  interested,  I  read  it  to  the 


1 83 1 .  ]  IXTER  VIE  W  WITH  THE  FRENCH  Q  UEEN.      79 

Queen.  Soon  after  she  had  heard  it,  she  asked  Eliza- 
beth Robson  in  English  if  she  preached.  Seeing  our 
friend  rather  embarrassed,  I  said  that  if  the  Queen 
would  be  pleased  to  sit  a  few  minutes  in  silence,  I 
thought  that  Elizabeth  Robson  might  have  something 
to  say  to  her.  She  immediately  complied,  and  both 
she  and  the  Marchioness  Dolomen  (lady-in-waiting 
to  the  Queen)  sat  as  if  they  had  been  accustomed  to 
receive  "family  visits."  Elizabeth  Robson  then  ad- 
dressed her  at  some  length. 

The  Queen  heard  her  with  deep  attention,  and  was 
much  affected.  Directly  Elizabeth  Robson  had  done 
speaking,  the  Queen  took  hold  of  her  hand  in  both  hers 
and  affectionately  expressed  how  much  she  was  obliged 
to  her  for  her  visit,  saying  she  felt  that  what  had  been 
said  was  true.  The  Queen  then,  looking  at  me,  said  in 
French  that  as  she  could  not  satisfactorily  to  herself  ex- 
press what  she  had  to  say  in  English,  she  wished  I  would 
translate  it.  Little  did  I  think,  when  I  left  England  as 
Elizabeth  Robson's  interpreter,  that  my  first  trial  in 
that  office  would  be  for  the  Queen  ! 

She  then  concisely  commented  on  all  that  Eliza- 
beth Robson  had  said,  in  the  same  order  as  she  had 
heard  it,  in  a  manner  which  quite  astonished  me.  She 
expressed  her  accordance  with  everything ;  and  I 
translated  it  sentence  by  sentence.  It  was  a  fearful 
office,  particularly  as  I  knew  that  she  understood  all 
I  said.  Amongst  other  things  she  remarked  that 
everything  that  had  a  bearing  on  religion  was  precious 
to  her,  and  that  it  was  her  earnest  desire  to  use  her 
influence  to  promote  the  glory  of  God  and  the  advance- 
ment of  His  holy  religion  on  the  earth.  Alluding  to 


8o        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1831. 

her  present  exalted  position  she  very  feelingly  said : 
"  Je  sais  que  c'est  Dieu  qui  m'a  place  ou  je  suis.  Je  ne 
le  desirais  pas.  Je  sais  aussi  que  c'est  lui  seul  qui 
peut  me  soutenir  dans  cette  situation,  et  m'aider  a  en 
remplir  tous  les  devoirs."  She  then  expressed  her 
desire  that  when  the  time  should  come  for  her  to  have 
done  with  this  world  it  might  be  a  season  of  joy  and 
not  of  sorrow.  In  alluding  to  what  our  friend  had  said 
respecting  the  King  she  said,  "  Vous  avez  bien  raison ; 
il  est  un  bien  honnete  homme  qui  ne  desire  que  ce  qui 
est  juste  et  droit  pour  son  peuple."  Referring  to  the 
non-observance  of  the  Sabbath  the  Queen  said  she  con- 
sidered it  a  sad  thing,  but  that  it  was  difficult  to  do  any- 
thing, except  by  example;  adding,  "C'est  Dieu  seul 
qui  peut  changer  les  cceurs." 

After  another  short  pause '  Elizabeth  Robson  knelt 
down  and  prayed  for  the  King  and  those  in  power,  for 
the  Queen,  and  for  the  Princes  and  Princesses.  When 
she  arose  the  Queen  again  thanked  her  repeatedly, 
holding  her  hand  in  both  hers ;  telling  her  she  should 
never  forget  her,  requesting  her  to  remember  her  in 
her  prayers,  and  very  feelingly  expressing  how  much 
she  was  obliged  to  her  for  remembering  her  husband 
and  children. 

The  day  after  the  visit  to  the  Queen  they  left 
Paris  for  the  South  of  France,  where  they  spent 
about  a  week  at  Congenies,  visiting  the  Friends, 
and  holding  meetings  there,  and  in  the  neighbour- 
ing towns  and  villages.  They  next  proceeded  to 
Geneva,  where  their  time  was  fully  occupied  in 
religious  work.  Amongst  other  engagements  was 


1831.]  MEETINGS  AT  GENEVA.  81 

a  meeting   "  with   some  of  the   serious   inhabitants 
of  Geneva,"  of  which  Christine  Majolier  writes  : 

Seventh  Month,  2gth,  1831. — When  we  arrived  I  was 
surprised  to  see  about  300  people ;  many  persons  of 
influence,  and  several  clergymen.  Knowing  the  state 
of  things  with  respect  to  religion  at  Geneva  it  looked 
very  formidable  to  me,  especially  as  I  knew  I  must  be 
the  organ  of  communication  should  anything  be  said. 
We  were  shown  up  to  the  platform,  where  chairs 
were  provided  for  us.  The  girls  were  made  to  sing 
a  psalm.  It  seemed  a  curious  mixture,  and,  thinking 
Elizabeth  Robson  would  like  a  little  silence,  they 
were  asked  to  stop ;  and  soon  she  rose,  and  spoke  for 
nearly  two  hours.  The  communication  was  striking, 
and  the  people  were  all  quiet  and  attentive.  Before 
the  close  of  the  meeting  Elizabeth  Robson  appeared 
in  solemn  supplication.  Many  expressed  their  satisfac- 
tion. Two  other  meetings  at  Geneva  were  held,  but 
they  were  not  nearly  so  large.  WTe  also  had  an  inter- 
esting opportunity  with  the  female  prisoners  in  the 
Maison  de  la  Force. 

At  Lausanne  and  Berne  they  visited  the  prisons, 
Elizabeth  Robson  addressing  the  prisoners  at  both 
places,  and  at  Zurich  they  had  a  striking  inter- 
view with  the  inmates  of  the  Hospital.  Proceed- 
ing through  Strasburg  and  Carlsruhe  to  Stuttgart, 
Elizabeth  Robson  thought  it  right  to  endeavour 
to  obtain  an  interview  with  the  King  and  Queen  of 
Wurtemburg.  They  had  no  previous  expectation 
of  visiting  Stuttgart,  and  had  no  letters  of  intro- 


82         MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1831. 

duction.  The  language  spoken  was  German,  and 
Christine  Majolier  felt  that  she  could  no  longer 
make  herself  fully  understood.  "  Never,"  she 
writes,  "  did  we  feel  so  discouraged  in  the  whole 
journey  as  on  our  arrival  here."  But  way  was 
opened  for  them  ;  and,  through  a  merchant  who 
had  known  William  Allen,  they  were  able  to  obtain 
the  wished-for  interview. 

Ninth  Month,  yd,  1831. — At  about  a  quarter  before 
twelve  we  went  to  the  Palace.  Knowing  that  much 
responsibility  devolved  on  me,  on  account  of  my 
being  the  only  one  who  could  speak  French  and 
German,  I  felt  very  anxious,  particularly  as  we  had 
been  told  that  the  King  did  not  speak  English,  and 
that  it  was  necessary  I  should  speak  to  him  in  German. 
After  a  little  difficulty  in  making  our  business  known 
to  the  servants  in  waiting,  who,  owing  to  our  appear- 
ance, seemed  scarcely  to  understand  it,  we  were 
introduced  to  the  King  and  the  Royal  family.  We 
were  received  in  the  dining-room,  where  the  cloth  was 
laid,  I  suppose,  for  luncheon.  The  King,  who  was  in  a 
blue  uniform  trimmed  with  red,  was  standing  near  the 
window.  I  was  going  up  to  him,  preparing  myself  to 
address  him  in  German ;  but  he  very  politely  came 
forward,  and,  taking  Elizabeth  Robson  and  myself  by 
the  hand,  began  to  speak  in  French,  saying  he  was  very 
glad  to  see  us  I  was,  therefore,  able  to  speak  to  him 
in  my  own  language,  which  was  a  great  relief.  I  told 
him  that  my  dear  friends  and  myself  were  very  much 
obliged  to  him  and  to  the  Queen  for  the  leave  they  had 
granted  us  of  visiting  them,  and  for  the  kind  manner 


1831.]    A'L\'G  AXD  QUEEN  OF  WURTEMBURG.          83 

in  which  they  had  received  us ;  adding  that  my  dear 
Friends  could  not  speak  anything  but  English,  or  they 
would  have  said  as  much  themselves. 

The  King  then  presented  us  to  his  wife  and  his  chil- 
dren, saying:  "  Void  la  reine  et  voici  mes  enfants  " 
(five  in  number,  four  daughters  and  one  son). 

The  King  then  said :  •''  You  are  friends  of  Mr. 
Allen's!"  I  told  him  that  we  knew  him  very  well, 
and  that  I  had  lived  with  him  many  years.  The  King 
and  the  Queen  entered  freely  into  conversation  with 
me  on  the  subject  of  our  journey.  As  the  Princesses 
spoke  English,  Elizabeth  Robson  was  conversing  with 
them.  I  was  beginning  to  fear  that  she  would  think  I 
was  forgetting  the  object  of  our  visit ;  but  I  was  obliged 
to  answer  their  questions,  and  it  was  no  easy  matter 
to  introduce  the  other  subject.  The  King,  however, 
opened  the  way  for  it,  by  kindly  saying,  "  If  I  can  be 
useful  to  you  in  anything  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  do  it." 
I  thanked  him,  but  said  that  I  was  not  aware  there 
was  anything  we  need  trouble  him  about ;  that  our 
reason  for  wishing  to  be  introduced  to  him  was 
a  strong  desire  for  the  welfare  of  himself  and  the 
Queen.  This  had  induced  my  friend  to  visit  them, 
and  I  believed  that,  if  they  would  allow  her,  she  might 
have  something  to  say  to  them,  which  I  could  trans- 
late into  French.  They  both  said  that  though  they 
did  not  speak  it,  they  understood  English  sufficiently 
to  render  that  unnecessary.  This  was  a  great  relief 
to  me.  We  all  stood  still  for  a  few  minutes ;  the  King 
was  remarkably  serious.  Elizabeth  Robson  began 
with  these  words,  "Grace,  mercy  and  peace  be  with 
you,  from  God  the  Father,  and  from  our  Lord  Jesus 


84        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1831. 

Christ."  She  then  addressed  them  at  some  length, 
urging  upon  them  their  responsibility  in  ruling  and 
judging  the  people;  as  ministers  of  God,  acting  under 
Him  who  is  the  blessed  and  only  Potentate,  King  of 
Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords.  The  King  and  Queen, 
particularly  the  former,  heard  her  with  deep  attention. 
She  then  addressed  a  few  words  to  the  Princesses,  after 
which  the  King,  in  a  very  impressive  manner,  desired 
me  to  thank  Elizabeth  Robson  for  all  the  good  advice 
she  had  given  him  and  his  family  Before  we  separated 
Elizabeth  Robson  prayed  very  impressively  for  the 
King,  the  Royal  family  and  the  country,  returning 
thanks  also  for  the  many  past  favours  bestowed  upon 
them.  We  took  leave,  all  affectionately  shaking  hands 
with  us.  The  King,  having  hold  of  my  hand,  desired 
me  to  give  his  compliments  to  William  Allen  ;  to  which 
the  Queen  added,  "And  give  him  my  compliments  also; 
and  tell  him  we  shall  be  very  glad  to  see  him  when  he 
comes  here." 

The  Queen  told  us  that  her  mother,  the  Grand 
Duchess  Louise,  of  Wurtemburg,  and  one  of  her 
sisters  were  in  the  palace  and  wished  to  see  us,  so 
we  were  conducted  to  their  apartments  The  Duchess 
is  a  very  pious,  interesting  woman ;  her  daughter 
also  is  very  amiable  and  pious.  We  soon  entered 
into  interesting  conversation,  I  interpreting,  as  they 
did  not  understand  English.  The  Duchess  seemed 
delighted  to  meet  with  those  with  whom  she  could 
talk  on  religious  subjects.  She  asked  us  to  pray 
for  her,  that  she  might  be  preserved  steadfast  in  the 
faith,  as  she  felt  that  there  was  no  safety  but  in 
keeping  firm  hold  of  Christ.  "And  not  for  me  only," 


1 83 1 .  ]        RE  VIE  W  OF  HER  O  WN  POSITION.  85 

added  she,  "but  also  for  those  whom  the  Lord  has 
given  me"  (taking  hold  of  the  hand  of  her  daughter, 
who  was  in  tears),  "in  order  that  I  may  appear  before 
Him,  saying,  '  Here  am  I,  with  those  whom  Thou  hast 
given  me.' ' 

In  the  review  of  this  her  first  "  missionary 
journey,"  which  proved  to  herself  a  time  of  so 
much  lasting  instruction,  Christine  Majolier 
writes  : 

We  had  many  conversations  with  persons  eminent 
for  piety,  as  well  as  with  others  who  were  ready  to 
bring  forward  objections.  In  all  these  I  was  Elizabeth 
Robson's  sole  interpreter,  and  I  was  myself  often  called 
upon  to  defend  what,  at  that  time,  I  but  very  imper- 
fectly understood.  No  one  knows  the  deep  provings 
into  which  I  was  thus  brought.  Add  to  this,  that  I 
had  the  greater  part  of  the  care  of  travelling  neces- 
sarily devolving  upon  me,  as  neither  of  my  friends 
understood  either  French  or  German.  But,  notwith- 
standing all,  I  have  since  looked  upon  this  journey  as 
one  of  my  greatest  blessings,  as  it  led  me  to  a  minute 
scrutiny,  not  only  of  my  own  heart,  but  also  of  those 
doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion  on  which  our  faith 
as  Christians  must  rest,  and  which,  till  then,  I  had  not 
thoroughly  examined.  Deep  seriousness  attended  my 
mind,  and  I  was  led  to  inquire  whether  I  was  prepared 
to  accept  the  salvation  of  my  soul  as  a  free,  unmerited 
gift ;  whether  I  really  loved  God,  because  he  had  first 
loved  me ;  and  whether  I  felt  my  sins  as  indeed  a 
burden,  or  whether  I  looked  upon  them  with  indifference. 
It  was  a  time  of  deep  searching  of  heart,  and  I  took 


86        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1831. 

opportunities  of  retiring  alone  in  the  evening  at  Plough 
Court,  where  we  spent  the  winter  of  1831-32.  I  used 
to  go  upstairs  into  the  laundry,  which  we  had  fitted  up 
for  a  schoolroom,  and  there  I  poured  out  my  heart 
before  the  Lord,  desiring  to  be  led  in  the  right  way. 
I  studied  the  Bible,  and  light  seemed  to  spring  on 
every  page.  "Scott's  Essays  on  Christianity"  were 
greatly  blessed  to  me ;  and  the  one  on  the  Atonement 
seemed  very  convincing.  I  felt  much  doubt  as  to 
whether  it  would  be  right  for  me  to  remain  a  Friend  ; 
— a  doubt  which  was  much  increased  by  a  proposal  of 
marriage  with  a  person  whom  I  respected  and  admired, 
whom  I  had  met  on  the  Continent.  He  was  the  pastor 
of  an  extensive  parish,  and  if  I  was  united  to  him  a  very 
wide  field  of  labour  lay  before  me.  Nothing  seemed 
more  inviting  than  a  life  spent  in  doing  good — in  bring- 
ing souls  to  the  Saviour,  whom  I  felt  that  I  had  found. 
I  thought  nothing  could  be  too  hard  for  me.  I  could 
have  gone  to  the  end  of  the  world  if  I  could  have 
felt  sure  that  it  was  the  will  of  my  Heavenly  Father. 
O,  then  indeed  was  His  love  shed  abroad  in  my 
heart. 

My  dear  friends,  William  Allen  and  Cornelius  and 
Elizabeth  Hanbury,  were  aware  of  the  consideration 
which  I  had  before  me.  They  could  not  take  upon 
themselves  to  discourage  me.  Many  weeks  I  was  in 
this  state  of  suspense.  I  could  scarcely  bear  to  leave 
the  society  in  which  I  lived,  and  I  hardly  knew  whether 
it  was  right  to  give  up  the  prospect  alluded  to.  No 
way,  however,  seemed  to  open  for  me  to  decide.  The 
subject  was  first  dismissed  for  a  time,  and  afterwards 
relinquished  by  mutual  consent.  I  felt  relieved  when 


1832.]      TRANSLATES  "PORTABLE  EVIDENCE."       87 

this  decision  was  come  to,  and  fully  believed  that  it  was 
a  right  one ;  but  it  was  not  followed  by  a  full  relief  as 
to  my  remaining  among  Friends.  At  this  time  J.  J. 
Gurney's  little  work,  "  The  Portable  Evidence  of  Chris- 
tianity," appeared.  I  read  it  with  attention,  and  found 
it  most  suited  to  my  need.  Its  perusal  led  me  to  think 
of  those  on  the  Continent  who  had  charged  Friends 
with  not  holding  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible  in  their 
fulness,  and  I  immediately  conceived  and  executed  the 
idea  of  translating  it  into  French.  Thus  was  com- 
menced an  intercourse  with  that  dearly-loved  friend 
which  lasted  with  great  advantage  to  myself  till  he  died. 
I  have  never  begun  or  gone  through  a  work  of  any 
kind  with  so  much  satisfaction  and  spirit ;  for  I  felt  as 
though  every  line  would  go  to  convince  those  who 
doubted  the  soundness  of  our  Christian  views.  This 
bopk  was  the  means  of  fixing  me  among  Friends  ;  and 
I  have  ever  since  been  settled  in  the  full  belief  that  the 
views  which  have  been  held  by  our  Society  with  respect 
to  the  immediate  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  nature 
of  Christian  ministry,  and  the  full  end  made  to  outward 
rites  and  ceremonies  in  the  new  dispensation,  are  those 
which  are  most  in  accordance  with  the  Scriptures  of 
truth ;  based  as  they  must  ever  be  on  the  alone  founda- 
tion, which  is,  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY     CONTINUED. 
Residence  at  Lindfield — Illness,  and  return  to  France. 

IN  the  spring  of  1832,  I  had  a  great  trial  in  being 
obliged  to  give  up  the  charge  of  my  little  pupil ; 
his  grandfather  thinking  it  best  to  send  him  to  school 
at  Stoke  Newington.  The  desire  to  care  for  him  as 
long  as  it  should  be  in  my  power,  and  thus  to  fulfil 
the  wish  expressed  by  his  dear  mother,  had  greatly 
influenced  me  to  remain  at  my  post :  but  now  that  he 
was  taken  from  me,  I  felt  as  though  I  could  no  longer 
be  of  any  use  to  William  Allen.  I  will  not  attempt 
to  describe  what  I  felt,  and  the  trial  to  my  dear  little 
charge  was  very  great  also.  On  his  account  and  on 
my  own,  it  was  thought  best  that  I  should  leave 
Stoke  Newington  for  a  few  months.  I  went  to  Broom- 
field,  near  Chelmsford,  to  my  kind  friends  Thomas  and 
Rebecca  Christy,  and  I  had  their  near  sympathy.  As 
William  Allen  had  always  said  that  I  should  remain 
with  him,  I  did  not  like  to  be  the  first  to  propose  to 
leave  so  kind  a  friend.  It  almost  seemed  as  though 
I  was  dissatisfied  with  the  position  which  he  was  dis- 
posed to  give  me  in  his  family;  and  yet  I  had  lost, 
one  by  one,  the  objects  which  had  fully  occupied  my 
attention,  and  every  interest  seemed  passed  into  other 
hands.  Whilst  at  Broomfield,  I  had  a  letter  from 
William  Allen,  telling  me  that  he  was  likely  to  go 
(88) 


1832.]  RESIDENCE  AT  LINDFIELD.  89 

on  the  Continent  with  Stephen  Grellet,  and  it  would 
be  a  great  relief  to  him  if  I  could  take  up  my  abode 
at  Lindfield,  and  superintend  his  concerns"  there 
during  his  absence.  There  seemed  no  ground  for 
hesitation,  and  I  left  my  dear  and  kind  friends  at 
Broomfield  with  a  heavy  heart,  but  determined  to  do 
my  very  best.  Under  date  Sixth  Month,  8th,  1832,  he 
says  in  his  journal :  "  I  have  left  dear  Christine  Majolier 
in  commission."  I  took  up  my  residence  in  his  house 
at  Gravely,  under  the  care  of  George  Bentley  and  his 
wife ;  she  acting  for  me  as  servant.  I  found  much  to 
occupy  my  time.  I  went  every  morning  and  after- 
noon to  the  schools,  about  a  mile  off,  attending  also 
to  the  printing  office,  which  was  worked  by  the  elder 
boys  of  the  school,  under  William  Bade.  The  cor- 
recting of  the  proofs  was  a  work  of  patience  indeed, 
as  there  were  often  as  many  mistakes  as  words.  The 
schools  were  not  then  on  so  good  a  footing  as  they 
acquired  afterwards ;  the  masters  and  mistresses  were 
inefficient,  and  yet  I  had  to  keep  everything  going, 
and  send  as  fair  an  account  as  I  could  to  William 
Allen. 

The  summer  passed  pretty  comfortably,  as  we  had 
now  and  then  visits  from  Brighton  Friends,  and  I 
used  sometimes  to  go  there  to  meeting.  It  was  at 
this  time  that  I  experienced  so  much  kindness  from 
my  friends,  Grover  and  Susanna  Kemp,  the  latter  of 
whom,  with  her  children,  had  for  some  time  lodgings 
at  Lindfield.  As  winter  drew  on,  I  felt  the  lone- 
liness of  my  abode ;  but  the  interest  I  took  in  my 
translation  of  J.  J.  Gurney's  "  Portable  Evidence,"  and 
in  studying  Greek  (which  I  had  undertaken  for  the 
G 


90        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1832. 


express  purpose  of  reading  the  New  Testament),  to- 
gether with  keeping  the  accounts,  and  sending  and  re- 
ceiving the  weekly  despatches  to  and  from  London,  kept 
me  agreeably  occupied ;  and  although  some  of  my 
friends  thought  it  almost  a  banishment,  I  had  some  real 
enjoyment.  I  felt  interested  also  about  some  of  the 
cottagers.  One  man  I  taught  to  read,  to  his  great  de- 
light ;  and  one  poor  woman  I  had  the  opportunity  of 
frequently  visiting  in  her  last  illness,  and  enjoyed  the 
privilege  of  conveying  to  her  mind  some  religious 
instruction,  which,  being  blessed  by  the  Spirit,  seemed 
the  means  of  bringing  her  to  a  sense  of  her  condition, 
and  of  enabling  her  to  rejoice  in  the  assurance  of  the 
forgiving  mercy  and  love  of  her  Redeemer.  Her  name 
was  Elizabeth  Wood. 

I  must  not  omit  to. mention  the  kindness  of  my  dear 
friends,  Banks  Farrand  and  his  wife  and  daughter, 
who  were  residing  in  one  of  the  cottages.  The 
winter  of  1832-33,  which  I  spent  at  Lindfield,  was 
cold  and  damp.  I  was  now  for  the  first  time  exposed 
to  the  severities  of  an  English  climate.  In  the  early 
part  of  the  winter  I  took  cold  ;  but  not  considering  it 
of  much  importance  I  continued  my  exertions,  not- 
withstanding the  exposure  to  which  my  occupations 
subjected  me.  With  a  constant  cough,  I  still  went  to 
the  schools  daily,  and  stood  for  hours  in  the  school- 
rooms and  the  printing  office;  took  my  dinner  with 
S.  Farrand  by  the  side  of  the  school  fire;  returned 
home  to  tea  through  rain,  mud,  frost,  or  snow ;  and 
spent  a  great  part  of  the  evening  in  correcting  damp 
proofs  from  the  printing  office,  which  had  to  be  read 
over  a  great  number  of  times.  For  half-an-hour  in 


1833.]  LIND  FIELD.  91 

the  evening  I  had  one  or  two  adult  pupils.  I  afterwards 
attended  to  the  accounts.  It  was  no  wonder  that  my 
health  gave  way,  and  that  a  foundation  was  then  laid 
for  the  delicacy  of  chest  to  which  I  have  ever  since 
been  subject.  It  was,  I  own,  through  imprudence 
on  my  part,  for  I  am  sure  William  Allen  would  have 
been  the  last  person  to  wish  me  thus  to  injure  my 
health;  but  I  was  then  young,  buoyant,  and  ex- 
tremely desirous  to  serve  my  beloved  friend.  I  had  no 
doubt  I  should  lose  my  cough  in  the  spring,  and  I 
thought  I  should  soon  be  well  again  when  I  had  time  for 
a  little  nursing. 

Spring  came,  and  I  had  no  relief.  I  applied  blisters 
to  my  chest,  but  still  went  to  the  printing  office  and 
read  the  proofs.  At  last  some  of  my  kind  friends, 
particularly  Susanna  Kemp,  of  Brighton,  urged  me 
to  inform  William  Allen  of  the  real  state  I  was  in.  I 
did  so,  and  left  Lindfield  for  medical  advice,  expecting 
to  return  after  the  Yearly  Meeting  to  resume  my  post; 
but  it  was  ordered  otherwise.  The  means  resorted  to 
were  ineffectual  in  removing  the  cough,  and  I  rapidly 
lost  strength.  Serious  apprehensions  were  entertained, 
and  intimated  to  me  by  the  medical  men  who  were 
consulted,  that  my  lungs  were  in  a  diseased  state,  and 
that  a  return  to  my  native  air,  at  least  for  a  time,  was 
the  only  thing  from  which  I  could  expect  relief,  so 
that  my  life  might  be  preserved  a  few  years  longer. 
It  was  undesirable  to  go  during  the  heat  of  summer, 
and,  moreover,  I  was  too  ill  to  undertake  the  journey 
in  the  usual  way — by  night  travelling  in  diligences. 
For  the  present,  therefore,  I  took  up  my  abode  with 
my  beloved  friends,  Cornelius  and  Elizabeth  Hanbury, 


92        MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1833. 

who  were  indeed  like  a  brother  and  sister  to  me,  and 
whose  sweet  children  seemed  almost  as  my  own.  I 
cannot  sufficiently  express  my  sense  of  the  kindness 
I  experienced  in  my  time  of  need  from  these  loved 
friends.  I  was  brought  to  a  very  low  ebb,  bodily  and 
mentally.  There  appeared  nothing  before  me  but  a 
life  of  suffering  and  uselessness.  It  seemed  as  though 
I  could  be  no  other  than  an  object  of  anxiety  and  care, 
either  to  my  friends  in  England,  or  to  my  dear  parents. 
And  although  I  was,  as  it  were,  driven  to  the  "strong- 
hold," and  was  made  mercifully  sensible  at  times  in  my 
sorrow  that  the  supporting  Arm  was  underneath,  yet 
I  had  seasons  of  deep  proving,  and  I  may  say  that  I  often 
watered  my  couch  with  my  tears.  I  desired  to  be  sub- 
missive to  the  Divine  will ;  but  I  had  not  come  to  that 
sense  of  joy  and  peace  in  believing,  by  which  alone  the 
yoke  becomes  easy  and  the  burden  light. 

It  seemed,  however,  desirable  to  try  a  little  change  ; 
and  I  wrote  to  an  old  friend  of  my  father's,  Nathaniel 
Casens,  who  was  then  residing  at  Southampton,  to 
propose  paying  him  a  little  visit  to  try  the  change  of 
air.  He  most  cordially  invited  me  to  come  and  stay 
as  long  as  I  liked.  He  lived  a  little  out  of  the  town, 
in  a  large  airy  house;  and  with  his  kind  welcome,  and 
the  motherly  care  of  his  housekeeper — Harriet  Gavet, 
of  Guernsey — I  felt  a  little  revived  ;  but  he  was  an 
uncommonly  serious  man,  with  manners  solemn  and 
austere,  and  though  he  was  extremely  kind,  I  felt  very 
dull,  and  spent  my  time  alone  with  but  little  employ- 
ment. I  took  walks  by  the  seaside,  my  kind  friend, 
Harriet  Gavet,  carrying  a  little  camp  stool,  that  I 
might  now  and  then  rest ;  and  I  went  out  sometimes 


I833-]  PREPARES  TO  RETURN  HOME.  93 

on  a  donkey.  But  I  seemed  to  have  lost  all  my 
elasticity  of  spirits.  I  was  completely  broken  down, 
and  could  scarcely  speak  without  shedding  tears. 
Here  I  stayed  between  two  and  three  weeks,  long 
enough  to  prove  that  the  sea  air  was  too  stimulating. 
I  knew  not  what  my "  next  step  was  to  be,  when  I 
very  unexpectedly  received  a  letter  from  my  friend 
Clara  Cox,  informing  me  that  her  husband  and  herself 
were  going  to  undertake  a  journey  on  the  Continent ; 
that  she  had  heard  of  my  indisposition  ;  and  that,  as 
they  always  liked  to  blend  usefulness  with  pleasure, 
they  would  take  me  home  if  I  could  meet  them  in 
Paris,  as  she  had  heard  of  my  circumstances  too 
late  to  enable  me  to  fall  in  with  their  plans  for 
leaving  London. 

Thus  was  a  way  opened  in  a  remarkable  manner, 
where,  indeed,  I  could  see  none,  and  a  renewed  hope 
was  raised  in  my  heart  that  I  was  not  forgotten  by 
my  Heavenly  Father,  though  I  did  not  at  the  time 
sufficiently  feel  that  this  signal  deliverance  came  from 
Him.  In  the  retrospect  of  those  days  of  trial  my 
heart  is  now  humbled  in  the  remembrance  of  the  luke- 
warmness  and  indifference  which  had  come  over  me, 
when  my  Heavenly  Father  had  been  pleased  to  with- 
draw some  of  his  blessings.  How  often  do  we  look 
upon  these  blessings  as  our  own,  enjoying  them 
without  gratitude,  and  murmuring  when  they  are 
withdrawn  ! 

With  a  little  fresh  courage  I  left  Southampton  and 
my  kind  friends,  and  spent  a  few  days  at  Stoke  New- 
ington,  in  active  preparation  for  the  journey.  The 
short  notice  was  a  blessing  to  me.  It  left  me  but  little 


94     MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1833. 

time  to  reflect  on  having  to  part  with  many  so  dear 
to  me,  as  I  thought  for  the  last  time ;  and  yet  the 
remembrance  of  what  I  then  felt,  as  I  had  to  make 
the  necessary  preparations  for  that  journey,  affects  me 
now,  even  to  tears.  My  brother  George  accompanied 
me  to  Pans;  where  I  joined  my  kind  friends  R  C.  and 
Clara  Cox  and  their  travelling  companions,  William 
Daniel,  the  water-colour  painter,  and  his  widowed 
daughter  Sophia  Gent.  R  C.  Cox  had  two  travelling 
carriages ;  and  I  was  provided  with  the  very  best 
accommodation  and  the  kindest  nursing  the  whole  of 
the  journey,  which  occupied  about  a  month ;  as  we 
stopped  at  most  of  the  principal  places  on  the  road. 
My  health  improved  a  little  during  the  journey,  and  I 
enjoyed  the  change  of  scene. 

On  my  arrival  amongst  my  dear  relatives,  it  .was  a 
relief  to  feel  that  I  was  in  my  father's  house  among 
my  own  friends,  and  under  the  care  of  my  tenderly 
loved  and  loving  mother,  where  I  knew  that  all  they 
could  do  for  me  would  be  cheerfully  performed.  This 
feeling  at  first  overbalanced  every  other ;  it  was  what 
I  had  earnestly  desired,  when  there  seemed  much 
difficulty  in  the  way  of  its  being  accomplished,  and 
now  I  was  thankful  that  it  was  realized.  Yet  I  could 
not  forget  that  I  was  going  to  put  my  dear  parents  to 
additional  expense,  instead  of  having  the  pleasure  of 
assisting  them.  This  threw  a  shade  over  my  mind, 
but,  under-  the  full  persuasion  that  I  should  never  get 
well,  I  had  a  sort  of  hope  that  it  would  not  be  for 
very  long.  It  .was  not  without  sadness  that  I  parted 
with  my  kind  travelling  companions.  R.  C.  Cox 
had  been  an  invalid  during  the  journey ;  he  and  I 


1833-]  TARRIANCE  AT  COXGEXIES.  95 


had  spent  much  time  together;  he  felt  for  me,  and 
drawing  me  aside  in  the  parlour  at  Congenies,  he 
said:  "I  know  that  you  will  be  dull  here  if  you 
have  nothing  to  do.  I  advise  you  to  have  a  little 
plan  for  occupying  your  time ;  and  as  you  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  seeing  after  the  poor,  it  will,  I 
think,  be  a  nice  thing  for  you  to  have  a  little  money 
at  your  disposal  for  that  object ;  I  will,  therefore,  give 
you  a  trifle."  He  gave  me  ^5  for  the  poor  of  Con- 
genies, and  ;£io  for  those  of  Sommieres ;  the  latter 
sum  to  be  disposed  of  conjointly  with  some  friends  of 
his  wife's,  as  she  had  lodged  there  before  her  mar- 
riage. I  have  never  forgotten  that  truly  benevolent 
thought.  It  was  indeed  a  comfort  to  have  some- 
thing to  draw  me  out  of  myself.  I  was,  however, 
often  low  and  discouraged,  and  although  my  time  was 
so  portioned  out  that  it  was  pretty  fully  occupied, 
nothing  of  what  I  did  seemed  necessary  to  be  done. 
My  dear  father  and  mother  enjoyed  having  me, 
and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  add  to  their  comfort. 
My  father  was  still  strong  and  bright.  He  rose 
very  early,  and  was  occupied  in  writing,  &c.,  during 
the  earlier  hours  of  the  day ;  part  of  the  afternoon  he 
took  a  nap,  and  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  and  evening  he 
spent  at  the  fountain  garden,  where  I  used  often  to  join 
him  after  my  daily  ride  on  the  donkey.  I  fancy  I  can 
now  see  that  loved  parent,  with  his  beautiful  patriarchal 
countenance,  beaming  with  intelligence  and  holy  sere- 
nity, bringing  home  the  produce  of  his  labours  in  the 
garden,  and  enjoying  showing  us  how  fine  were  his 
lettuces,  his  cabbages,  his  peas,  and  his  haricots.  Pain- 
ful as  was  the  dispensation  at  the  time,  which  forced  me 


96      MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1833. 

to  relinquish  what  I  was  engaged  in,  I  have  often  felt 
thankful  that  it  thus  afforded  me  the  opportunity  of 
being  so  much  with  my  beloved  parents  in  their  declin- 
ing years,  to  add  to  their  comfort  and  to  witness  the 
serenity  of  the  evening  of  their  day  ;  and  although  I  had 
some  privations,  yet  I  enjoyed  many  comforts,  and,  to  a 
high  degree,  the  "  comfort  of  love." 


CHAPTER    IX. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY   CONTINUED. 

Residence  at  Nimes  in   Dr.   Pleindoux's   family — Description  of 

Nimes — State  of  Religion  in  France. 

• 

BUT  my  health  did  not  seem  to  alter.  I  was  too 
much  absorbed  by  the  idea  that  I  should  not 
recover  for  it-  to  improve  much.  I  was,  however, 
kept  calm,  endeavouring  to  look  forward  steadily  to 
the  end ;  and  although  I  was  not  favoured  with  a  sense 
of  assurance,  I  had,  at  times,  a  humble  hope  in  the 
mercy  of  my  Saviour.  I  took  much  interest  in  the 
printing  of  the  translation,  which  I  had  made  of  the 
"Portable  Evidence."  Emilien  Frossard,  with  whom 
I  had  been  acquainted  when  we  were  both  young, 
at  William  Allen's,  had  married  an  English  wife,  and 
was  residing  at  Nimes  as  one  of  the  pastors  of  the 
place.  I  wished  to  submit  the  translation  to  him,  and. 
he  and  his  wife  kindly  invited  me  to  their  house,  both 
for  the  change  of  air  and  the  more  easily  to  obtain 
his  help  in  looking  over  and  correcting  the  little 
work ;  which  was  then  printed  and  put  into  circulation. 
Many  copies  were  distributed  gratis,  and  some  were 
sold.  I  have  known  several  instances  in  which  the 
reading  of  it  was  blessed  ;  and  to  a  cousin  of  mine  in 
particular  it  was  made  the  means  of  his  conviction  of 
the  truths  of  Christianity,  after  he  had  long  lived  in 
doubt  and  scepticism. 

During  one  of  my  visits  to  my  friends,  Emilien  and 

(97) 


98      MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1833. 

Isabella  Frossard,  at  Nimes,  they  persuaded  me  to 
consult  their  medical  friend,  Dr.  Pleindoux.  He  did 
not  take  the  serious  view  of  my  case  which  had  been 
taken  by  the  English  physicians.  It  is  true  that  I  was 
better  when  he  saw  me  than  I  was  when  I  left  Eng- 
land. The  lungs,  he  considered,  were  affected,  but  not 
so  as  to  lead  him  to  think  the  complaint  beyond  the 
reach  of  tcure ;  but  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
persuade  me  that  this  was  the  case.  The  strong 
impression  I  had  to  the  contrary  remained  with  me, 
although  I  could  but  be  sensible  of  some  improvement. 
He  one  day  told  me  that  he  believed  he  had  tried 
every  means  which  he  thought  would  be  beneficial ; 
and  that  now  there  remained  nothing  to  be  done  but 
to  turn  my  attention  to  some  kind  of  employment  by 
which  I  might  be  taken  more  out  of  myself;  for  it  was 
not  in  the  power  of  medicine  to  help  me  as  long  as  I 
entertained  the  idea  that  I  could  not  recover.  This 
rather  amazed  me,  for  I  felt  that  I  could  not  undertake 
any  kind  of  employment  at  Congemes;  and  whither  else 
could  I  go?  I  told  him  my  difficulty.  He  said, 
"  Well,  I  will  consider  about  it ;  perhaps  I  can  suggest 
something  that  may  suit  you."  Shortly  afterwards  he 
proposed  that  I  should  spend  a  few  months  in  his 
family,  and  teach  English  to  his  only  daughter  who 
was  then  about  eleven  years  old.  The  proposal  was 
unexpected.  I  was  surprised  that  any  one  should 
think  of  making  it  to  a  person  far  gone  in  consump- 
tion ;  and  that  it  should  come  from  my  medical  man 
was  certainly  extraordinary.  It  acted  on  me  power- 
fully, and  for  the  first  time  conveyed  to  my  mind  the 
thought  that  perhaps  Dr.  Pleindoux  was  right,  and 


I834-]  DR.  PLEINDOUX.  99 

that  my  apprehensions  were  incorrect.  At  least,  I  saw 
that  he  was  sincere  in  his  expressed  opinion.  Had  any 
one  else  made  the  proposal,  I  should  have  refused  it 
without  hesitation ;  but  now  I  looked  upon  it  in  a 
different  light ;  and  the  more  I  thought  of  it,  the  more 
it  struck  me  as  a  Providential  interposition  in  my 
behalf.  My  dear  father  and  mother  were  very  doubtful 
as  to  the  desirableness  of  the  undertaking.  My  father 
feared^he  effect  it  might  have  on  my  "  Friendliness." 
My  mother  was  anxious  about  my  health.  I  was 
again  perplexed.  The  proposal  had  not  been  sought 
by  me.  I  had  not  in  any  way  promoted  it ;  it  had 
come  to  me.  I  knew  not,  however,  how  I  could  main- 
tain my  character  as  a  "  Friend  "  in  its  essential  parts, 
and  reside  in  a  Roman  Catholic  family,  and  instruct 
a  Roman  Catholic  child.  Revolving  the  subject  in 
my  mind,  and  feeling  anxious  to  do  that  which  was 
right ;  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  must  at  once  represent 
myself  as  one  who  desired  to  act  without  com- 
promising any  of  the  important  views  entertained  by 
"Friends."  If  Dr.  Pleindoux  were  willing  to  accept 
me  as  a  Friend,  I  would  accede  to  the  proposal ;  if  not, 
it  must  be  left. 

In  my  next  interview  I  told  the  Doctor  that  he  was, 
perhaps,  not  aware  that  I  was  a  Protestant.  It  was  true 
that  I  did  not  belong  to  the  Church  which  goes  under 
that  name  in  France  ;  but  that  the  principles  of  our 
Society  were  those  of  the  Reformation,  and  that  we 
carried  them  further  than  even  the  Protestants  of  the 
National  Church ;  and  that,  therefore,  we  were  at  a 
greater  distance  than  they  from  Roman  Catholicism. 
And,  seeing  that  the  most  powerful  motive  of  action 


ioo      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1834. 

is  a  religious  sense,  founded  on  the  responsibility 
of  man  in  the  sight  -of  his  Creator,  I  felt  that  I 
could  not  undertake  the  education  of  a  child  with- 
out having  it  in  my  power  to  make  use  of  this  power- 
ful incentive  to  duty.  To  my  surprise  the  Doctor 
answered  that  he  was  quite  of  the  same  mind  ;  and  that 
as  he  wished  his  daughter  to  be  brought  up  with  reli- 
gious views  and  obligations,  whilst  at  the  same  time 
he  desired  her  education  to  be  exempt  from  the  errors 
and  superstitions  of  popery,  his  eye  had  been  fixed  on 
me,  as  being  the  person  most  likely  to  answer  his 
purpose  on  many  accounts,  and  particularly  because 
I  seemed  to  stand  on  rather  neutral  ground  between 
the  Catholics  and  the  Protestants.  On  account  of  the 
priests  he  could  not  well  have  a  Protestant.  He 
wished  to  know  how  far  I  should  think  it  right  to  carry 
out  my  views.  I  told  him  that  I  had  no  desire  unduly 
to  influence  any  one,  or  to  force  my  own  views  on 
his  child  should  she  be  entrusted  to  me ;  but,  as  both 
Catholics  and  Protestants  professed  to  take  their  reli- 
gious views  from  the  Bible,  I  should  be  quite  satisfied, 
if  I  was  allowed  to  read  it  with  her.  He  made  not  the 
slightest  difficulty  as  it  regarded  himself;  but  he  said 
his  wife,  who  was  more  under  the  influence  of  the 
priests,  might  make  some  objection ;  but  that  she 
would  be  less  likely  to  object  if  the  subject  were  pro- 
perly put  before  her  ;  and  as  she  was  not  acquainted 
with  me,  if  I  was  willing  to  pay  them  a  friendly  visit, 
he  would  ask  her  to  send  me  an  invitation.  At  the 
time  of  this  negotiation  I  was  staying  with  my  very 
dear  friend,  Jenny  Jalaguier,  to  whom  I  had  been  intro- 
duced by  Emilien  Frossard  and  his  wife,  and  who  has 


1 834.]  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  ABBE.  101 

ever  since  been  like  a  beloved  sister  to  me.  The  wife 
of  Dr.  Pleindoux  called  on  me,  and  it  was  fixed  that  I 
should  go  on  a  visit  of  a  few  days  to  the  Doctor's.  It 
seemed  altogether  strange ;  and  yet  so  providential,  so 
unlocked  for,  and  so  opportune,  that  I  felt  it  would  be 
a  serious  thing  lightly  to  set  it  aside.  My  dear  father 
thought  the  same.  I  therefore  went  some  time  in  the 
summer  of  1834. 

The  first  thing  that  I  was  anxious  to  ascertain 
during  this  visit  was  the  point  I  had  discussed  with 
the  Doctor.  He  proposed  that  he  himself  should 
consult  the  confessor  of  his  wife  and  daughter ;  but  it 
occurred  to  me  that  it  was  better  for  me  to  do  it  in  his 
presence.  The  Abbe  of  the  Cathedral  was  therefore 
invited  to  dinner.  When  I  saw  a  tall,  fine  man, 
very  dignified  and  commanding  in  his  appearance, 
evidently  a  man  of  learning  and  thought,  I  own  that  I 
felt  rather  to  shrink  from  the  encounter ;  but  he  was 
thoroughly  well  bred  and  most  polite.  The  dinner 
passed  off  without  much  being  said  but  what  was  com- 
monplace;  and  I  did  not  feel  quite  at  my  ease.  When 
we  retired  from  table  the  Doctor  introduced  the  subject 
of  his  daughter's  education ;  how  he  had  hitherto  been 
disappointed  in  the  attempts  he  had  made  for  accom- 
plishing it ;  and  after  saying  that  now  he  believed  he 
had  found  the  right  person,  he  introduced  me  as  the 
individual  whom  he  wished  to  persuade  to  take  charge 
of  it.  Now,  I  thought,  must  be  the  time  to  express  the 
grounds  which  led  me  to  hesitate.  I  knew  that  the 
Abbe  had  been  concerned  on  a  large  scale  in  the  work 
of  education  as  Proviseur  (Principal)  of  the  large  college 
at  Nimes..  I  could  therefore  appeal  to  him  as  a  man  of 


102       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.    [1834. 

experience,  and  was  relieved  by  finding  that  he  fully 
agreed  with  me  that,  in  order  to  carry  out  any  plan 
of  education  satisfactorily,  and-  be  instrumental  in  the 
right  formation  of  character,  the  great  truths  of  the 
Gospel  must  be  brought  to  bear  on  any  such  plan.  I 
told  him  that  I  was  a  Protestant,  and  mentioned  those 
common  grounds  of  faith  and  of  practice  in  which  I 
was  sure  we  were  agreed.  These  I  desired  that  it 
might  be  my  endeavour  to  inculcate  on  my  young 
pupil  as  she  might  be  able  to  bear  it ;  without  at- 
tempting either  to  bring  forward  peculiar  views  of  my 
own  or  to  refute  those  that  she  might  otherwise  be 
taught.  And  as  there  was  one  book  to  which  we  could 
both  appeal,  as  containing  the  rule  of  our  common 
faith,  what  I  thought  to  be  indispensable  was,  to  be 
allowed  to  read  the  Bible  with  my  pupil ;  containing  as 
it  does,  the  truths  which,  in  their  essential  bearing, 
are  the  same  for  the  Catholics  and  the  Protestants. 
I  believed  that  he  would  see  the  propriety  of  my 
request ;  and  I  further  added,  that  although  I  should 
not  seek  unduly  to  influence  the  judgment  of  the  child, 
yet  if  any  explanations  of  the  portions  we  read  were 
required,  I  could  only  give  them  according  to  the 
understanding  I  had  of  the  sacred  text.  He  heard 
me  patiently,  and  at  my  different  appeals  he  nodded 
assent.  When  I  had  done,  he  said  my  request  was  a 
very  fair  one  ;  he  approved  of  my  frank  and  open 
statement ;  and  saw  no  objection  to  the  child  reading 
the  Bible,  provided  it  was  a  right  translation.  I  men- 
tioned De  Saci's  translation.  He  agreed  that  it  was 
an  approved  version,  but  he  would  wish  to  see  it.  As 
there  was  no  Bible  in  the  house,  I  procured  one  from 


I834-]  LIFE  AT  DR.   PLEINDOUX'S.  103 

the  depot  of  the  Bible  Society,  and  made  a  present  of 
it  to  the  child.  The  priest  had  it  for  some  time,  and 
then  returned  it  to  my  pupil  with  the  permission  to  read 
it.  From  that  time  I  had  full  liberty,  and  during  the 
time  I  lived  in  the  family,  a  period  of  six  years,  I  was 
never  interfered  with  ;  and  we  read  the  Bible  daily. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1834  that  I  came  to  live  at 
Nimes,  and  entered  on  this  new  mode  of  life.  Dr. 
Pleindoux  was  a  very  able  man,  in  full  practice  ;  and 
although  my  principal  employment  was  with  my  little 
pupil,  I  saw  a  great  variety  of  interesting  persons, 
and  again  led  a  life — though  totally  different  from 
that  in  William  Allen's  family — of  constant  activity. 
There  was  not,  at  that  time,  any  Friends'  meeting  at 
Nimes.  My  cousin,  Justine  Benezet,  had  been  for  some 
years  the  superintendent  of  the  Protestant  Orphan 
Asylum  ;  and  for  a  long  time  she  and  I  regularly  sat 
down  together,  and  held  a  little  silent  meeting  in  the 
committee  room  of  that  Institution,  which  was  granted 
to  us  by  the  committee.  After  a  while  two  of  my  sisters 
joined  us,  together  with  Justine's  sister,  Eugenie.  The 
latter  had  lately  been  left  a  widow,  and  was  kindly 
taken  in  with  her  child  into  the  Orphan  Asylum,  where 
she  acted  as  housekeeper.  Notwithstanding  these 
associates  my  lot  was  very  lonely.  I  was  in  a  Roman 
Catholic  family,  the  head  of  which,  an  intelligent, 
warm-hearted  man,  absorbed  by  the  duties  of  his 
profession,  was  living  without  any  observance  of  reli- 
gion whatever ;  as  most  men  do  in  France.  The  only 
appearance  of  religion  in  his  wife  was  her  going  to 
mass  on  First-day  morning,  and  to  confession  when 
it  was  required.  I  had  little  other  outward  help  than 


104       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1834. 

reading  my  Bible  and  attending  the  little  meeting  on 
a  First-day ;  and  now  and  then  spending  a  First-day 
at  Congenies.  But  I  had  some  intercourse  with  pious 
Protestants  at  Nimes,  and  I  took  a  class  in  the  First- 
day  school  at  the  Protestant  "  Temple,"  which  led 
to  my  sometimes  attending  the  afternoon  worship  there. 
I  took  much  interest  in  my  little  pupil,  who  became 
closely  attached  to  me.  She  was  bright  and  intelligent, 
though  not  very  fond  of  work.  It  was  agreed  that 
she  should  at  once  receive  her  religious  instruction 
for  her  first  "  communion,"  and  that  then  she  would  be 
entirely  confided  to  me.  I  had  frequently  to  go  to 
fetch  her  home  from  the  Convent,  where  one  or  two  of 
the  nuns  with  whom  I  came  in  contact  tried  hard  to 
convert  me  by  kindness  ^  and  persuasion.  I  was 
several  times  invited  to  walk  in  the  garden,  to  see  their 
chapel,  their  altars,  and  ornaments.  One  of  them,  in 
particular,  urged  me  to  consider  the  great  responsibility 
of  refusing  to  hear  the  call  that  was  made  through  her 
to  me.  I  endeavoured,  in  my  turn,  to  give  her  my 
reasons  for  differing  from  heron  some  points ;  and  at 
last  she  left  me  to  my  disbelief. 

One  day  they  gave  Theolinde  a  little  box  carefully 
wrapped  up.  The  child  brought  it  to  me,  and,  cautiously 
opening  it,  she  displayed  the  inside,  all  glittering  and 
bespangled,  and  shut  in  with  glass.  She  told  me  to 
look  in  the  centre,  and  on  my  taking  the  box  out  of  her 
hand  she  looked  terrified,  and  said,  "Oh,  you  must  not 
touch  it !  It  is  only  for  a  very  particular  purpose :  for 
you  to  see,  but  not  to  touch."  In  the  centre  com- 
partment I  saw  a  tiny  piece  of  wood,  not  as  large  as 
a  pin's  head.  This,  she  told  me,  was  a  piece  of  the 


1840.]  "  RELICS."  105 

true  cross,  which  had  been  sent  as  a  present  to  their 
convent  by  some  one  who  had  brought  it  from  Rome. 
I  think  they  hoped  that  it  would  have  some  wonder- 
ful effect  on  me,  if  I  were  not  too  much  hardened  in 
unbelief.  The  child  said,  "It  is  such  a  precious  relic 
that  they  never  would  have  given  it  to  me  if  they  had 
not  thought  of  you.  It  is  so  sacred  that  whilst  the 
priests  are  allowed  to  touch  it  with  their  hands, 
the  nuns  only  do  so  with  a  piece  of  cotton."  Saying 
all  this,  she  looked  at  me  very  attentively,  and  ap- 
peared surprised  that  I  did  not  wonder  more.  I  read 
an  inscription  on  the  lid  of  the  box,  purporting  that 
the  saying  of  a  certain  number  of  prayers  in  view  of 
the  relic  would  free  the  soul  from  the  penalty  of  so 
many  mortal  sins,  and  so  many  venial  sins.  The  child, 
watching  my  countenance  all  the  time,  penetrated 
my  thoughts,  and  said,  "  I  see  that  you  do  not  believe 
it."  I  told  her  that  I  fully  believed  in  the  goodness 
of  the  Almighty  in  forgiving  us  our  sins,  if,  under  a 
feeling  of  true  repentance,  we  prayed  that  they  might  be 
forgiven ;  that  the  Bible  taught  us  this,  as  we  had  seen ; 
but  that  I  could  not  find  anything  in  the  Bible  about 
pieces  of  the  true  cross.  "Then,"  said  she,  "you  do 
not  think  that  this  will  make  any  difference  ?"  I  did 
not  answer  ;  but  she  added,  "  Neither  do  I.  I  will  take 
back  their  box"  I  was  afraid  I  should  hear  more  of 
this  little  box;  but  I  did  not  It  was  evident  that,  as 
the  child's  mind  opened,  she  was  less  and  less  under 
their  superstitious  influences ;  and  in  a  few  months  her 
attendance  at  the  convent  ceased. 

Nimes,  the  ancient  Nemausus,  is  in  many  respects  a 
very  remarkable  city.      First,  as  containing  so  many 
H 


106      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1834. 

proofs  of  its  early  possession  by  the  Romans.  Its  Am- 
phitheatre, on  which  I  had  looked  with  some  surprise 
when  I  was  a  child,  more  and  more  astonished  me 
when  I  considered  its  antiquity — of  the  time  of  Augus- 
tus Caesar — its  extent,  the  massiveness  of  its  construc- 
tion, and  its  preservation.  The  Maison  Carree — of 
about  the  same  period,  the  Porte  de  France  and  the 
Porte  d'Augusta,  with  the  ruins  at  the  Fontaine,  and 
the  antique  Tour  Magne  ;  all  tell  of  times  long  gone  by; 
and  of  generations  of  men  who  have  long  since  had  to 
give  up  their  account. 

But  to  those  who  are  interested  in  the  religious  wel- 
fare of  the  people  of  France,  Nimes  is  remarkable,  as 
being,  perhaps,  the  only  large  city  in  France  which  con- 
tains so  large  a  proportion  of  Protestants. 

As  early  as  1557  a  Protestant  Church  was  founded  at 
Nimes,  and  from  that  period  to  the  present  time  there 
has  existed  a  constant  conflict  between  the  Protestants 
and  the  Catholics.  Being  a  manufacturing  place  there 
is  a  numerous  population  of  poor  people,  particularly 
amongst  the  Catholics,  whose  character  is  hot  and 
impetuous.  Old  animosities  are  treasured  up  until 
a  fitting  opportunity  for  venting  them  offers.  Hence 
the  conflicts  and  the  bloodshed  that  have  taken 
place  at  every  change  in  the  political  affairs  of  the 
country.  At  the  time  of  my  going  to  Nimes,  and  all 
the  time  I  resided  there  (from  1834  to  1840),  the 
Protestants  were  in  favour  with  the  Government. 
During  the  reign  of  Louis  Philippe,  especially  during 
the  administration  of  Guizot,  they  filled  the  most 
prominent  offices.  There  were  many  opulent  families 
amongst  them.  The  Mayor  was  a  Protestant.  The 


1840.]  N1MES,  107 

first  President  of  the  Court  was  also  a  Protestant,  as 
was  the  first  Judge.  Many  of  the  lower  offices  were 
also  filled  by  Protestants ;  and  the  principal  bankers 
were  members  of  the  Reformed  Church.  Most  of 
them  were  members  of  their  Consistory  or  Synod. 
But  I  own,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  there  was  not  much 
spirituality  in  their  Church  Two  or  three  of  their 
pastors  held  Evangelical  views;  others  were  sadly  tainted 
with  the  errors  of  rationalism  ;  and  for  a  time  there 
was  much  division  amongst  them.  I  mixed  much  more 
with  the  Protestants  than  with  the  Roman  Catholics, 
even  while  I  was  with  Dr.  Pleindoux.  Indeed  I  visited 
very  little  amongst  the  Catholics  ;  all  I  knew  of  them 
was  by  their  coming  to  his  house. 

It  was  soon  after  I  went  to  Nimes  that  I  paid  a  visit 
to  an  old  friend  of  mine,  a  friend  of  my  childhood, 
whose  family  lived  at  Congenies  when  we  were  both 
children  ;  and  who  had  since  gone  through  deep  afflic- 
tion by  the  loss  of  her  husband  and  her  only  daughter, 
a  lovely  child  of  eight  or  ten  years  of  age.  She  was 
a  strict  Roman  Catholic,  and  was  now  living  with 
her  mother  at  a  small  village  called  Manduel.  I  found 
her  thoroughly  under  the  dominion  of  her  religious 
ideas  Her  house  was  close  to  the  "  church,"  to  which 
she  had  built  an  addition  over  her  daughter's  grave. 
To  this  portion  of  the  building,  which  communicated 
with  the  upper  part,  near  the  altar,  she  had  easy 
access  from  her  house  by  merely  crossing  the  road; 
and  here  she  spent  much  of  her  time.  The  rest  was  in 
great  part  spent  in  embroidering  dresses  for  the  priest, 
altar-cloths,  making  artificial  flowers  for  different  orna- 
ments, &c.  She  found  in  these  occupations  some  solace 


io8       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTIXE  M.  ALSOP.     [1834. 

for  her  sorrows,  and  she  really  appeared  happy.  She 
had  always  been  good  looking,  and  now  the  melancholy 
and  at  the  same  time  serene  expression  of  her  counte- 
nance was  truly  striking. 

How  I  did  regret,  in  being  with  her,  that  at  so  early 
an  age — scarcely  thirty — so  much  of  sincerity,  so  much 
of  real  piety  and  devotedness  of  heart,  should  be  thus 
wasted  ,  and  life  spent  to  so  little  purpose.  She,  on  the 
contrary,  commiserated  my  want  of  religious  sensibility, 
in  not  being  able  to  sympathize  with  her  in  her  con- 
solations. In  the  evening  we  used  to  have  the  company 
of  the  priest  and  one  or  two  ladies  of  the  village.  At 
these  times  the  conversation  would  cften  turn  on  the 
miracles  of  different  saints,  on  the  furniture  of  the 
church,  or  on  the  vestments  of  the  priests,  &c.,  &c.  I 
give  the  following  as  an  illustration. 

It  was  an  evening  on  which  the  medical  man  was 
also  present  The  conversation  turned  on  an  approach- 
ing festival— the  anniversary  of  ltLes  Saintcs  Maries ;" 
and  arrangements  were  proposed  for  attending  it. 
But  in  order  to  give  an  idea  of  the  subject,  and  of 
what  occurred,  I  must  endeavour  to  explain  what 
seems  to  be  the  generally  received  tradition  respecting 
that  place  and  another  in  the  neighbourhood.  It  is 
reported  that  at  the  time  of  the  crucifixion  of  Peter, 
at  Rome ;  Lazarus,  who  was  with  him,  and  his  sisters, 
Martha  and  Mary,  with  Mary  Salome,  fled  to  the  coast, 
and  embarked  on  the  Mediterranean  in  an  open  boat. 
They  were  sadly  beaten  about  for  many  days,  and 
at  last  were  shipwrecked  on  the  coast  of  France. 
Lazarus  escaped,  and  found  his  way  to  Marseilles, 
where  he  built  a  church,  which  bears  his  name,  and 


1840.]  STRANGE   LEGENDS.  109 


also  one  on  the  other  side  of  the  port ;  a  communi- 
cation being  established  between  them  by  means  of 
a  tunnel.  Martha,  by  some  very  remarkable  provi- 
dential interposition,  escaped  also,  and  went  up  by 
the  mouth  of  the  Rhone,  to  Tarascon.  That  place, 
so  runs  the  legend,  was,  at  that  time,  infested  by  a 
sea-monster,  which  lived  in  the  Rhone,  and  destroyed 
men,  women,  and  children,  and  was  the  terror  of  the 
neighbourhood.  It  went  by  the  name  of  the  Tarasque. 
(I  have  heard  it  asserted  that  crocodiles  were  at  one 
time  found  in  the  Rhone ;  and  it  is  a  fact  that  a 
crocodile  is  emblazoned  on  the  arms  of  the  town  of 
Nimes.  There  are  two  stuffed  ones  in  the  town  hall, 
which  are  said  to  have  been  caught  in  the  Rhone.) 
But  to  my  story.  Martha  is  said  to  have  delivered  the 
neighbourhood  from  this  monster  by  miraculously 
charming  it,  and  leading  it  to  the  town  tied  with  her 
apron-string.  She  is  buried  in  the  crypt  of  the  church, 
and  there  are  candles  always  burning  on  her  tomb,  as 
the  deliverer  and  patron  saint  of  the  place  ;  and  until 
quite  recently,  the  yearly  festival  of  this  deliverance 
was  kept  up.  A  French  writer,  M.  Raux  Ferrand, 
after  describing  the  monster,  and  the  manner  in  which 
it  was  vanquished — by  the  exhibition  of  the  cross — 
says:  '-To  perpetuate  the  remembrance  of  this  great 
event  a  procession  -and  a  fete  were  instituted.  They 
take  place  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  day  after  the 
fair  of  Beaucaire.  The  procession  is  very  imposing. 
All  the  clergy  follow  it.  The  congregation  bear,  on  a 
litter,  an  effigy  of  the  Tarasque,  and  as  soon  as  the 
procession  is  over  the  fete  begins.  The  Tarasque  is 
brought  forth  surrounded  by  guards  called  Taras- 


I  to       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1834. 

quaries.  These  are  young  men  dressed  in  red  serge  and 
white  cambric  vests,  trimmed  with  lace.  They  wear 
white  stockings  and  shoes  with  red  tops  and  heels  ;  a 
cocked  hat  and  a  red  cockade.  The  congregation  fol- 
low; and  the  procession  is  accompanied  by  an  innum- 
erable company  of  the  faithful.  During  the  march  the 
tail  of  the  monster  is  agitated  on  all  sides;  and,  as  his 
tail  is  no  other  than  a  beam,  woe  to  the  curious  who 
come  near  it,  especially  if  they  happen  to  be  Protes- 
tants ;  for  the  Tarasque,  converted  by  Martha,  does  not 
pardon  them  their  heresy."  After  giving  a  description 
of  the  absurdities  that  took  place  at  this  fete,  the  writer 
continues, — "These  are  all  in  harmony  with  the  fdte 
and  the  procession ;  it  is  the  tenth  century  in  the  nine- 
teenth, and  that  in  France  !  " 

But  to  return  to  the  other  part  of  the  legend,  which 
bears  most  on  what  occurred  to  me  during  this  visit 
to  my  friend.  The  two  "Maries  "  were  drowned  ;  their 
bodies  being  found  on  the  sand  on  a  little  tongue  of 
land  or  sand  between  the  'Etang  de  Thau  and  the  sea. 
Their  bones  were  collected  in  a  box,  and  a  little  chapel 
was  built  on  the  spot.  The  place  is  inhabited  only 
by  a  few  fishermen.  In  the  little  chapel  is  a  well,  the 
water  of  which  is  always  salt.  But  on  the  occasion  of 
the  annual  festival  called  "/«  Saintes  Maries,'"  the  box 
containing  the  bones  is  let  down  into  it ;  and  the  water 
is  said  to  become  sweet,  and  whoever  drinks  of  it  at 
that  time,  and  has  faith  to  perceive  that  it  is  so,  is 
healed  of  whatever  disease  he  may  have.  The  porch  of 
the  little  chapel  is  hung  round  with  the  testimonials 
which  individuals  who  have  thus  been  healed  have  left 
as  proofs  of  the  efficacy  of  the  transformed  water. 


18.40.]      CONVERSATION  WITH  THE  PRIEST.          m 


Such  was  the  strange  legend  which  formed  the 
subject  of  conversation  as  we  sat  together  on  that 
evening.  I  was  one  of  seven.  Feeling  that  my  com- 
panions would  overpower  me  by  their  numbers,  I 
thought  it  most  prudent  to  hold  my  peace  and  listen 
to  their  discussion.  They  talked  of  going  to  spend  a 
week  on  the  shore  near  the  little  chapel,  either  under 
tents  or  in  the  fishermen's  huts  ;  quite  a  party  of 
pleasure.  They  mentioned  many  cases  which  had 
been  wonderfully  helped.  Amongst  others,  the  priest 
spoke  of  a  girl  who  had  been  quite  blind  ;  who  the  year 
before  had  partially  recovered  her  sight,  and  who  said 
she  intended  to  go  again,  when  she  expected  to  be 
quite  cured.  At  this  mention  of  a  miracle,  half  done 
at  one  time  and  completed  a  year  after,  I  suppose  that 
I  betrayed  a  sort  of  incredulity  by  the  expression  of 
my  countenance ;  for  the  priest,  who  had  been  watch- 
ing me,  as  he  knew  I  was  a  heretic,  said,  with  a  sort 
of  disdain,  ''You  do  not  believe  in  miracles?"  I 
answered  that  he  was  quite  mistaken  in  thinking  so  — 
that  I  had  quite  as  firm  a  belief  in  miracles  as  probably 
he  had  ;  and  that  I  had  never  called  in  question  the 
possibility  that  He  by  whose  power  all  things  were 
ordered  and  directed  in  the  natural  creation,  could,  if 
it  were  His  will,  change  the  order  and  the  arrange- 
ment which  He  had  given  them.  At  this  he  seemed 
surprised  ;  and  the  rest  of  the  company  listened  with 
attention.  He  said,  "  You  are  not,  then,  like  the  other 
Protestants;  for  they  do  not  believe  in  miracles."  I 
told  him  I  thought  that  what  I  had  expressed  would 
be  agreed  to  by  most  Protestants.  He  inquired  what 
miracles  I  believed  in.  I  said  that  I  believed  in  all 


112      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  -M.  ALSOP.     [1834. 

those  mentioned  in  the  Old  and  the  New  Testament. 
Then  said  he.  "  Do  you  not  believe  that  the  Power 
which  performed  those  miracles  remains  the  same  and 
can  now  perform  miracles?"  I  acknowledged  my 
full  belief  that  this  was  the  case  ;  adding  that  if  I 
could  see  the  same  reason  now  that  there  was  then  for 
such  a  disturbance  of  the  order  of  nature;  as,  for 
example,  the  establishment  of  a  new  dispensation 
and  the  proving  of  the  divinity  of  the  Saviour  of  men  : 
both  of  which  required  an  extraordinary  manifesta- 
tion of  power:  and  if,  moreover,  a  miracle  wrought 
for  such  a  purpose  was  fully  authenticated,  1  should 
not  withhold  my  belief  of  it ;  knowing  thatNwe  must 
be  careful  not  to  limit  Almighty  Power,  whilst,  at  the 
same  time,  we  guard  against  the  mistakes  and  the 
deceptions  of  men.  He  looked  at  me  rather  sharply 
and  said — "  Then  you  do  not  believe,  for  instance, 
that  when  the  relics  are  let  down  into  the  water,  its 
nature  is  changed  or  that  it  becomes  sweet  ?  ' '  Being 
still  desirous  not  to  lay  myself  open  to  the  imputa- 
tion of  heretical  unbelief,  I  quietly  put  the  question 
to  him  ;  asking  him  if  he  believed  it.  This  was  unex- 
pected; and  the  poor  man  proved  at  least  that  he 
was  sincere.  Assuming  a  very  serious  air,  he  said, 
"It  is  with  sincere  sorrow  for  my  want  of  faith  that 
I  acknowledge  it ;  for  many  whom  I  can  depend  upon 
have  assured  me  of  the  contrary:  but  when  I  have 
tasted  the  water  I  have  perceived  no  difference.  I  at- 
tribute this,  however,  to  my  lamentable  want  of  faith." 
The  conversation  ended  here ;  and  I  felt  glad  that  it 
was  the  priest,  and  not  I,  who  had  been  convicted  of 
disbelief. 


1840.]        STATE   OF  RELIGION  IN  FRANCE.  113 

I  often  met  this  priest  afterwards  at  Dr.  Pleindoux's  ; 
and  we  were  always  good  friends.  I  remember  dining 
with  the  family,  when  he  displayed,  as  he  thought  to  my 
wondering  gaze,  all  his  gorgeous  vestments  and  the 
riches  of  his  church.  When  he  asked  me  what  I  thought 
of  all  this — whether  I  did  not  think  it  indicated  the 
great  piety  of  his  parishioners — I  said  No ;  for  I  be- 
lieved many  of  these  things  were  given  to  churches,  to 
cover  a  multitude  of  sins ;  and  I  regretted  that  so  much 
property  should  be  doing  no  good  when  it  might  defray 
the  expenses  of  a  school.  He  appeared  amused  at  my 
replies,  for  he  was  a  good-natured  man  ;  and  he  finally 
gave  me  up  as  an  incorrigible  heretic. 

It  is  very  affecting  to  consider  that  if  there  be  any 
religion  at  all  amongst  the  Roman  Catholics  in  the 
South  of  France,  it  is  so  often  of  the  character  that  I 
have  described  as  the  religion  of  my  poor  friend.  I 
suppose  there  is  not  one  family  in  a  hundred  of  the 
Roman  Catholics  in  Nimes  who  possess  the  Bible ;  and 
a  very  small  number  of  the  men,  whether  Roman  Catho- 
lics or  Protestants,  attend  any  place  of  worship.  This, 
with  the  sad  appropriation  of  the  First  day  of  the  week, 
affected  me  at  first  very  sorrowfully.  By  degrees,  how- 
ever, I  became  accustomed  to  it ;  so  that  I  minded  it 
less.  Placed  as  I  was  at  this  period  in  the  midst  of  so 
much  that  tended  to  dry  up  every  feeling  of  devotion,  I 
have  been  often  led  to  consider  that  young  persons  can- 
not be  sufficiently  thankful  when  it  has  pleased  a  kind 
Providence  to  place  them  in  an  atmosphere  which  tends 
to  encourage  their  efforts  towards  an  advancement  in  the 
Christian  life. 


CHAPTER    X. 

Visit  of  Elizabeth  Fry  to  the  South  of  France — Christine  Majolier 
again  comes  to  England — Final  parting  with  William  Allen — 
Reiurns  to  Nimes — Death  of  her  pupil,  Adele  Jalaguier. 

DURING    the    first    four    years    of    Christine 
Majolier's  residence  at  Nimes,  she  pursued 
with  interest  the  education  of  her  little  pupil. 

The  Countess  de  Sellon,  with  whom  she  had 
become  acquainted  during  her  journey  with  Eliza- 
beth Robson,  continued  to  correspond  with  her; 
and  at  one  time  was  very  anxious  that  she  should 
reside  in  her  family,  and  assist  in  the  education  of 
her  younger  daughters.  Tempting  as  was  the  pro- 
posal Christine  Majolier  writes  : 

Many  reasons  induced  me  to  decline  it.  I  felt 
attached  to  my  pupil  and  grateful  to  Dr.  Pleindoux, 
and  wished  to  accomplish  what  I  had  undertaken.  At 
Nimes,  too,  we  had  a  little  meeting  of  Friends,  and 
the  opportunities  I  had  had  of  attending  the  Protestant 
Temple  made  me  feel  the  value  of  even  our  poor  little 
meetings,  and  of  our  simple  mode  of  worship.  I  was 
also  near  my  beloved  parents;  and  though  my  situa- 
tion was  not  in  all  respects  congenial,  I  thought  it 
best  to  wait  till  an  opening  might  clearly  present  for 
leaving  it. 

In  the  Fifth  Month,  1839,  Elizabeth  Fry.  accom- 
panied by  her  husband,  and  their  son  and  daughter. 


1 839-40.]  ELIZA  BE  TH  FRY.  115 

with  their  friend,  Josiah  Forster,  paid  a  visit  to  the 
South  of  France.  Christine  Majolier  accompanied 
them  to  Congenies  and  the  villages  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, acting  as  interpreter  at  all  the  meetings, 
as  well  as  at  those  held  at  Nimes ;  her  young  pupil 
being  with  her  on  many  of  these  occasions.  Chris- 
tine Majolier  writes : 

This  dignified  and  highly-gifted  handmaid  of  the 
Lord  was  greatly  favoured  during  this  Gospel  errand. 
The  message  of  Redeeming  love  flowed  freely  from 
her  lips ;  many  who  heard  her  were  contrited  before 
the  Lord,  and  brought  to  the  inquiry,  "  What  must  I 
do  to  be  saved?  "  And  though  it  is  to  be  feared  that 
some  of  the  seed,  which  was  then  abundantly  sown, 
fell  where  there  was  not  "much  depth  of  earth,"  yet 
"other  fell  into  good  ground;"  and  many  who  have 
since  proved  the  emptiness  of  the  pleasures  of  this 
world,  and  have  given  in  their  names  to  serve  the 
Lord,  can  trace  their  first  awakening  to  her  tender 
yet  powerful  exhortations.  To  me  her  visit  was  one  of 
renewed  help,  and  of  a  fresh  stirring  up  to  diligence; 
and  greatly  did  I  enjoy  being  able  to  afford  her  a  little 
assistance.  I  accompanied  her  not  only  to  the  meet- 
ings, but  also  in  her  visit  to  the  families  of  Friends, 
and  to  the  Hospital,  and  the  large  prison,  Maison 
Centrale. 

Dr.  Pleindoux  was  much  struck  with  Elizabeth  Fry, 
and  invited  her  to  meet  at  his  house  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal inhabitants  of  the  city;  when  her  simple  and 
Christian  conduct  was  very  striking.  He  was  so 
impressed  with  the  desirability  of  reading  the  Holy 


u6      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1840. 

Scriptures  in  the  morning,  that  he  wished  to  establish 
a  morning  reading  at  his  house  in  the  country  among 
his  workmen ;  but  it  was  soon  found  that  the  Roman 
Catholics  would  not  attend,  and  the  plan  had  to  be 
given  up. 

My  own  health  had  improved  during  my  residence 
at  Ximes,  and  my  dear  pupil  had  now  grown  a  serious 
and  interesting  young  person  ;  and  as  her  education 
was  completed,  it  was  decided  that  I  should  leave  Dr. 
Pleindoux. 

In  the  Fourth  Month,  1840,  Christine  Majolier 
again  came  to  England.  Many  changes  had  taken 
place  during  the  six  years  she  had  been  absent ;  but 
her  loved  friends,  Cornelius  and  Elizabeth  Hanbury, 
again  opened  their  house  to  her ;  and  she  had  the 
great  pleasure  of  spending  a  few  days  with  Eliza- 
beth Fry  at  her  house  in  Upton  Lane.  Christine 
Majolier  thus  describes  her  visit : 

I  slept  in  a  little  room  near  her  own.  She  used 
to  come  in  the  morning  in  her  dressing-gown  and  sit 
on  my  bed  before  I  was  up,  to  tell  me  a  little  of  her 
plans  for  the  day,  and  sometimes  of  her  cares  and  of 
her  sorrows.  One  morning  she  looked  very  serious, 
and  said  she  had  received  a  note  from  the  Duchess  of 
Sutherland,  making  an  appointment  to  see  her  that 
day  ;  and  she  thought  it  was  to  go  to  the  Queen.  She 
added,  "Thou  canst  not  imagine  what  I  feel;  howl 
shrink  from  the  flattery  I  am  exposed  to,  when  I  think 
of  the  possibility  that  the  creature  should  be  elated  by 
it ;  "  and,  raising  her  hand  and  looking  earnestly  at  me, 
she  added,  "Pray  for  me,  that  I  may  be  kept,  that 


1840.]  LAST  INTERVIEW  WITH  WILLIAM  ALLEN.  117 

this  may  never  be  the  case."  So  much  did  this 
devoted  servant  of  the  Lord  feel  that  if  she  was 
enabled  to  do  anything  that  was  good,  it  was  only  of 
the  ability  that  God  giveth,  and  from  nothing  that  was 
her  o\vn. 

Christine  Majolier  continues: 

My  beloved  friend  William  Allen  was  much  en- 
feebled every  way,  but  still  most  kind  and  loving,  and 
occupied  for  the  good  of  others.  The  change  at 
Broomfield  (near  Chelmsford)  was  most  affecting ;  dear 
Rebecca  Christy  and  her  daughter  Ann  both  gone  to 
their  long  home.  These  and  other  changes  that  had 
taken  place  seemed  too  much  for  me ;  and  I  had  a  re- 
currence of  my  nervous  cough  and  of  the  pain  in  my 
chest.  I  felt  that  I  must  return  to  France. 

A  committee  had  been  appointed  to  visit  Friends  in 
the  South  of  France ;  and  I  left  London,  vid  Southamp- 
ton, in  company  with  them,  on  the  2oth  of  the  Eighth 
Month,  1840.  Peter  Bedford,  George  Stacey,  Josiah 
Forster,  Samuel  Fox,  and  Thomas  Norton,  Jun.,  formed 
our  party  ;  and  at  Southampton  we  met  William  Allen 
and  Lucy  Bradshaw,  who  were  to  accompany  us  as  far 
as  Paris.  Thus  I  had  the  pleasure  of  a  little  more 
of  dear  William  Allen's  company.  Before  he  left 
the  hotel  in  Paris,  he  told  me  that  he  wished  to  give 
me  a  trifle  to  get  something  in  remembrance  of  him. 
I  felt  that  we  were  parting  probably  for  the  last  time. 
My  heart  was  too  full  for  utterance.  He  was  affected, 
too.  It  was  indeed  the  last  time  that  I  saw  this  be- 
loved friend,  who  had  for  so  many  years  been  like  a 
father  to  me." 


Il8       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTIXE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1840. 

On  her  return  to  France,  she  again  settled  at 
Nimes;  and  at  the  urgent  request  of  Emile 
Jalaguier,  a  friend  of  her  parents,  she  undertook 
the  care  and  education  of  his  little  daughter  Adele. 
It  was  an  occupation  which  afforded  Christine 
Majolier  peculiar  satisfaction,  and  in  which  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  she  was  made  an  instru- 
ment of  much  blessing.  The  life  of  this  beloved 
child,  so  full  of  promise,  was  to  be  of  short  con- 
tinuance. Her  health  soon  began  to  give  way. 
But,  in  watching  her  gradual  decline,  her  friends 
had  the  unspeakable  comfort  of  knowing  that  her 
young  heart  had  been  given  to  her  Saviour;  and 
that  the  beauteous  flower  was  thus  early  gathered 
to  flourish  eternally  in  the  Paradise  of  God. 

Adele  Jalaguier  died  at  Louis  A.  Majolier's 
house  at  Congenies,  whither  she  had  been  removed 
for  the  benefit  of  the  country  air. 

Christine  Majolier  writes : 

The  night  but  one  before  she  died,  she  took  leave 
of  her  father  and  aunt ;  but  as  if  fearing  that  the 
emotion,  which  she  could  not  entirely  conceal,  should 
lead  us  to  think  that  her  faith  in  Jesus  was  shaken, 
she  said  to  her  father,  in  a  firm  voice,  "  There  are 
bright  and  beautiful  promises,  my  father,  and  I  be- 
lieve in  them ;  but  I  feel  the  pain  of  leaving  so  good 
a  father."  Then  calling  her  aunt  to  her,  and  taking 
her  hand  and  putting  it  into  her  father's,  she  said, 
"Aunt,  here  is  my  father;  I  recommend  him  to  you; 
take  care  of  him ;  do  all  you  can  for  him.  I  had 


1845.]  AD&LE  JALAGUIER.  119 

hoped  to  have  done  it  myself."  A  deep  silence  reigned 
in  the  room.  Her  father  was  deeply  affected,  and 
seemed  unable  to  give  utterance  to  his  sorrow.  The 
dear  child  noticed  this,  and  looking  at  him  with  a 
smiling  countenance  said,  "  Now,  my  father,  once  more 
smile  upon  me.  Although  in  much  pain,  I  can  still 
smile  upon  you."  Then  turning  to  me,  she  said,  "And 
what  can  I  say  to  you?  nothing  but  Thank  you." 

Although  evidently  gradually  sinking,  there  was  no 
apprehension  of  immediate  dissolution  ;  and  the  next 
day,  the  24th  of  Sixth  Month,  she  spent  about  two 
hours  in  the  lovely  little  garden.  She  seemed  to  take 
leave  of  the  pretty  flowers,  making  some  remark  upon 
each  of  them  as  they  were  brought  to  her  to  examine. 
Never  can  we  forget  her  heavenly  appearance  that  after- 
noon as  we  sat  round  her  couch,  surrounded  by  the 
most  lovely  blossoms,  especially  pinks  and  carnations 
which  scented  the  air,  and  which  a  few  hours  after 
served  to  adorn  the  peaceful  remains,  when  the  spirit 
had  fled  to  the  Paradise  of  unfading  flowers  above. 
The  night  of  the  24th  was  a  restless  one.  She  did  not 
express  much  ;  but  not  a  murmur  escaped  her.  On  the 
morning  of  the  25th  her  father  left  as  usual  for  the  day, 
as  there  seemed  no  particular  indication  of  approaching 
death,  and  he  was  scarcely  able  to  bear  witnessing 
for  long  together  the  gradual  decline  of  his  dying 
child.  She  was  dressed  and  carried  down  stairs, 
and  asked  me  to  rest  at  her  feet,  and  soon  after  went 
off  into  a  doze.  Awaking  suddenly  she  said,  in  a 
hurried  manner,  "I  have  such  a  pain  in  my  chest ;  I 
am  dying.  Send  an  express  to  Nimes;  send  for  a 
doctor."  She  asked  for  something  to  take,  but  found 


120       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1845. 

she  could  not  swallow.  Then,  turning  her  beautiful 
eyes  upward  and  joining  her  hands  before  her,  she 
uttered  this  short,  but  comprehensive  prayer,  "My 
God,  pardon  my  sins ;  Christ,  rny  Saviour,  I  have 
faith,  I  have  confidence  in  Thee,  and  I  am  Thine  for 
ever."  From  this  time  a  heavenly  serenity  seemed  to 
cover  her  mind ;  the  bitterness  of  death  was  past, 
though  she  was  still  upon  earth.  The  first  thing  she 
said  after  this  was  to  ask  us  not  to  send  any  one  to 
Nimes,  as  it  was  useless.  During  the  few  hours  which 
preceded  her  death  a  holy  stillness  pervaded  the  room. 
Her  uncle  arrived,  and  at  long  intervals  she  told  him 
what  she  wished  done  with  the  little  things  she  pos- 
sessed. Having  nothing  to  give  him,  she  turned  to- 
wards him  with  a  smile  and  said,  "  To  you,  my  uncle, 
my  love."  Then  added,  "Now  I  am  dying;  pray." 
After  a  short  prayer  she  added,  "I  die  happy."  Her 
aunt  asked  her,  if  she  died  in  the  faith  of  that  good 
Saviour  who  came  into  the  world  to  die  for  us;  she 
answered  very  earnestly,  "Oh,  yes,  aunt,  nothing  else." 
She  moved  her  hand  towards  us  and  said,  "  Farewell 
all."  Seeing  that  the  servant  was  not  in  the  room,  she 
wished  her  called,  and  said,  "Jeannette,  thank  you." 
I  was  standing  by  her,  supporting  her  on  my  right  arm, 
while  my  head  sustained  hers.  She  felt  my  tears  falling 
on  her  cheek,  which  was  already  made  cold  by  the  hand 
of  death,  and  raising  her  eyes  towards  me  with  an  ex- 
pression of  gentle  reproof,  she  said,  "Do  you  weep  for 
me?  Weep  not  forme."  I  fondly  hoped  she  might 
survive  till  her  father  arrived,  as  he  was  expected  in 
about  an  hour ;  and  I  proposed  strengthening  frictions, 
which  had  at  times  proved  reviving.  She  quietly  said, 


I845-]  ADELE  JALAGUIER.  121 

"Oh,  no,  it  is  useless,"  and  then,  "  No\v,  Christine, 
you  may  close  my  eyes."  Soon  after  her  loving  spirit 
took  its  flight  to  Heaven,  and  the  sweet  smile  which 
remained  on  her  lips,  with  the  beautiful  serenity  of  her 
countenance,  clearly  showed  the  peace  and  the  joy  with 
which  she  left  this  mortal  scene  for  one  of  eternal 
happiness.  She  died  on  the  25th  of  Sixth  Month,  1845, 
aged  sixteen. 

Her  father  arrived  about  an  hour  after  the  close.  He 
was  perfectly  calm,  and  sitting  down  by  the  sofa  on 
which  she  was  laid,  he  was  so  impressed  with  the  peace- 
fulness  of  the  scene  and  the  joyful  expression  on  her 
countenance,  that  he  said,  "If  any  one  had  told  me, 
even  a  few  days  ago,  that  I  could  sit  down  by  the  re- 
mains of  the  last  treasure  I  had  on  earth  and  feel  happy, 
I  could  not  have  believed  it,  and  yet  it  is  the  case." 
Her  remains  were  taken  to  Nimes,  where  they  rest  in 
the  cemetery  by  the  side  of  her  mother's. 
I 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Journey  on  the  Continent  with  Lindley  Murray  Hoag. 

IT  was  about  this  time  that  Lindley  Murray 
Hoag,  a  native  of  Maine,  in  the  United 
States,  North  America,  came  over  to  this  country 
as  an  accredited  minister  of  the  Gospel.  His  father 
and  mother,  and  many  members  of  the  family,  were 
also  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  He  had  been  brought 
up  in  great  simplicity,  but  was  a  man  of  consider- 
able natural  talent,  which  was  sanctified  by  Divine 
grace.  He  was  young  and  ardent ;  his  preaching 
was  impressive  and  attractive,  and  he  had  exten- 
sive service  both  in  the  British  Islands  and  on 
the  Continent  of  Europe.*  He  was  accompanied 
to  the  south  of  France  by  the  late  Joseph  Tre- 
gelles  Price  and  Robert  Alsop;  and  whilst  there 
Christine  Majolier  was  invited  to  join  them  as 
interpreter. 

The  journey  occupied  several  months.  The 
following  extracts  from  Christine  Majolier's  memo- 
randa will  give  some  idea  of  its  varied  interests  : 

*  Lindley  Murray  Hoag  subsequently  settled  in  Iowa,  and  died 
there,  at  his  residence  in  Rocksylvania,  Hardin  County,  Eleventh 
Month,  25th,  1880. 

(122) 


1846.]  JOURNEY  WITH  L.  M.  HO  AC.  123 

We  left  Nimes  the  i4th  of  Fourth  Month,  1846,  and 
that  evening  reached  Alais ;  the  weather  very  wet.  I 
felt  rather  dull,  not  knowing  how  things  might  turn  out. 
The  track  appeared  wholly  untrodden,  as  regards 
Friends ;  and  much  devolved  upon  me. 

\$th. — In  the  morning  we  went  to  call  on  the  persons 
to  whom  we  were  recommended.  The  two  first  were 
out,  so  we  had  to  knock  at  another  door — the  Methodist 
missionary,  Combe.  He  kindly  offered  his  meeting- 
place,  and,  though  small,  we  accepted  it.  The  meeting 
was  held  at  half-past  seven.  The  place  was  full,  nearly 
200  persons  present.  It  was  the  first  Friends'  meeting 
which  had  been  held  there,  and  it  proved  a  satisfactory 
opportunity.  L.  M.  Hoag  spoke  for  some  time,  and 
the  people  were  pretty  quiet. 

i6th. — Left  Alais  at  ten  o'clock,  and  reached  St. 
Ambroix  about  one.  We  had  a  letter  for  the  pastor 
there  named  Collive.  J.  T.  Price  and  I  called  on  him ; 
but  we  soon  found  that  he  could  be  of  no  use  to  us  for 
getting  a  meeting.  He  would  not  give  the  use  of  his 
"Temple"  to  any  other  denomination  than  his  own, 
neither  would  he  encourage  private  meetings.  Still  I 
was  not  disheartened,  but  inclined  to  try  all  the  means 
in  our  power  before  we  gave  up.  We  therefore  called 
on  a  lady  of  the  name  of  Chante.  We  found  her  a 
pious  and  amiable  woman,  very  desirous  to  aid  us. 
She  mentioned  that  private  reunions  were  sometimes 
held  at  the  house  of  one  of  her  acquaintances  named 
Servier,  a  widow.  This  she  considered  the  most  likely 
place  to  hold  the  meeting.  She  also  sent  for  one 
of  her  friends,  whom  we  found  a  valuable  helper. 
He  went  with  us  to  the  widow  Servier,  and  arrange- 


124      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1846. 

ments  were  made  for  the  meeting,  he  undertaking  to 
give  notice.  At  half-past  seven  we  had  a  larger  com- 
pany than  we  expected,  and  it  was  really  satisfactory. 
Lindley  Murray  Hoag  appeared  first  in  supplication, 
pouring  out  his  soul  in  most  touching  language, 
imploring  the  unmerited  mercy  of  our  Heavenly 
Father  towards  His  rebellious  children,  that  for  Jesus 
Christ's  sake  their  sins  might  be  blotted  out  as  a 
cloud,  and  their  transgressions  be  remembered  no 
more.  My  heart  went  along  with  his  fervent  prayer, 
and  I  thought  I  felt  something  like  comfort  in  a  sense 
of  forgiving  love.  He  afterwards  spoke  largely  on  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  on  silent  worship  ;  and  on 
the  need  of  repentance  and  justification  before  the  soul 
can  be  made  meet  for  an  inheritance  in  Heaven.  We 
heard  the  next  day  from  a  notaire,  named  Redares,  that 
he  and  several  other  Roman  Catholics  had  stood  in  the 
yard  and  heard  all  that  had  passed.  They  were  well 
satisfied ;  and  he  said  that  it  was  the  Gospel  they  had 
heard  preached. 

\1th. — We  left  St.  Ambroix  about  nine,  and  arrived 
at  St.  Jean  about  twelve  o'clock.  The  inn  there  was 
very  poor.  I  could  not  make  up  my  mind  to  stay ;  and, 
hoping  we  might  find  something  better,  we  went  over 
to  Rochegade  to  see  a  person  who  had  expressed  a  wish 
to  see  Friends.  He  received  us  with  great  kindness. 
He  was  busily  occupied  with  his  silkworms ;  but  would 
not  be  satisfied  without  our  taking  dinner  ;  offering  us 
the  best  he  had  with  a  heartiness  that  could  not  be 
withstood. 

After  this,  it  seemed  best  to  go  back  to  St.  Jean  to 
see  the  Pastor,  to  whom  we  had  been  recommended. 


1846.]  JOURNEY  WITH  L.  M.  HOAG.  125 

We  found  him  well  disposed.  He  could  not  promise 
the  use  of  the  "Temple"  without  consulting  some 
members  of  the  Consistory ;  but  offered  to  have  the 
meeting  in  his  own  house,  and  to  give  ample  notice. 
About  eight,  his  house  was  completely  besieged.  The 
meeting  was  held  in  a  large  hall  and  school-room,  and 
the  staircase  was  so  full  that  he  Avas  greatly  afraid  it 
would  break  down.  Many  of  the  people  stood,  and 
yet  the  meeting  was  quiet  and  solemn.  L.  M.  Hoag 
first  poured  forth  a  beautiful  supplication,  which, 
though  the  words  were  not  understood,  appeared  to  be 
felt  by  many.  He  then  rose  with  the  text — "The  love 
of  Christ  constraineth  us,  because  we  thus  judge,"  &c. 
He  strikingly  set  forth  the  doctrine  of  the  fall  of  man, 
and  the  means  appointed  for  his  recovery ;  and  how 
those  means  are  available  for  all;  describing  the  offices 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  Reprover  for  sin,  &c.  The 
people  were  very  quiet  and  attentive,  and  many  appeared 
impressed. 

i8//t. — At  Vallon,  I  felt  quite  at  home,  from  knowing 
our  kind  friend,  Henry  Blune,  who  is  the  pastor.  He 
received  us  with  an  open  heart,  and  not  only  willingly 
made  way  for  our  meeting,  but  wished  very  much  that 
we  should  stay  over  First-day,  that  we  might  have  a 
larger  congregation.  We  met  in  a  neat  chapel  at 
half-past  seven.  The  meeting  soon  gathered  into 
solemn  silence,  more  like  a  Friends'  meeting  than  any 
other  we  had  had ;  the  appearance  of  the  people  evi- 
dently evincing  the  care  of  their  good  pastor.  After  a 
solemn  time  in  prayer,  and  a  few  words  expressed 
with  much  weight  by  Robert  Alsop,  L.  M.  Hoag  rose 
with  the  words :  "  Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that  God  is  no 


126       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1846. 

respecter  of  persons;  but  in  every  nation  he  that 
feareth  God,  and  worketh  righteousness,  is  accepted 
with  him." 

The  next  day,  Lindley  Murray  Hoag  felt  anxious  to 
proceed  on  our  journey,  with  the  prospect  of  holding 
a  meeting  at  Vals,  near  Aubenas.  Vals  is  the  only 
Protestant  Church  in  a  very  extensive  neighbourhood ; 
and  the  inhabitants  resort  to  it  for  miles  round.  It 
has  only  existed  as  a  Church  about  twenty  years. 
When  L.  M.  Hoag  and  I  went  to  the  meeting  we  found 
the  people  singing  psalms,  which  they  continued  to  do 
until  it  was  fully  gathered.  They  were  very  attentive  to 
what  was  said,  and  many  appeared  much  interested  and 
touched. 

The  next  day  they  went  to  Privas,  which  had 
specially  attracted  L.  M.  Hoag's  attention,  even 
before  he  left  England.  Christine  Majolier  writes : 

We  found  that  a  meeting  of  from  twenty  to  thirty 
serious  and  seeking  people  meet  at  the  house  of  one  of 
their  pastors,  M.  Gregoire,  two  or  three  times  a  week  to 
read  and  expound  the  Scriptures,  and  to  pray  and  sing 
hymns  and  psalms.  Our  friends  very  affectionately 
pressed  us  to  stop  amongst  them  ;  and  it  was  fixed  that 
the  same  evening  we  should  meet  this  little  company 
with  all  they  could  invite. 

At  eight  o'clock  we  met  about  fifty  in  M.  Gre- 
goire's  parlour.  Soon  after  we  came  together  I  felt 
inclined  to  give  them  a  little  explanation  of  our 
mode  of  Divine  worship ;  bringing  into  view  our  faith 
that  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  in  the  name  of 
Jesusr  He  is  in  the  midst  of  them.  L.  M.  Hoag  soon 


1846.]  JOURNEY  WITH  L.  M.  HOAG.  127 

after  spoke  on  the  same  subject,  describing  how  it  was, 
that  our  Saviour  could  be  present  with  us ;  and  beau- 
tifully bringing  before  us  the  ground  of  true  Gospel 
ministry,  and  the  exercise  of  prayer  in  Divine  worship. 
There  seemed  much  openness  to  receive  the  Gospel 
preached ;  and  after  the  meeting  all  our  friends 
expressed  their  wish  that  we  should  remain  longer  with 
them. 

At  Fluviac,  a  village  situated  in  the  mountains, 
surrounded  by  little  hamlets,  they  had  a  good 
meeting  of  400  people.  On  the  22nd,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  Valence,  Annonay,  and  St.  Etienne. 
Their  road  lay  part  of  the  way  along  the  banks  of 
the  Rhone,  commanding  a  distant  view  of  the 
mountains  of  the  Dauphine,  still  covered  with 
snow.  At  each  place  meetings  were  held.  From 
St.  Etienne  they  proceeded  by  way  of  Lyons  to 
Geneva.  At  Geneva  meetings  were  appointed  at 
their  hotel,  and  at  the  Salle  of  the  Casino ;  about 
400  attended  the  meeting  at  the  latter  place. 
L.  M.  Hoag  preached  the  Gospel  with  power  from 
the  words,  "  Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay 
than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Christ  Jesus."  After  a 
brief  visit  to  Lausanne,  they  came  to  Aigle,  where 
the  journal  thus  describes  a  meeting  in  the 
Salle  a  manger  of  the  hotel  in  which  they  were 
staying. 

At  seven  o'clock  about  100  persons  were  collected, 
amongst  whom  were  many  respectable  persons.  Al- 
though we  had  at  different  times  been  induced  to  fear 


128   MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE    M.  ALSOP.     [1846. 

a  disturbance  of  our  meetings  in  this  canton,  we  none 
of  us  had  any  apprehension  of  what  was  going  to 
happen.  I  hoped  we  should  have  a  good  meeting,  as 
*the  feeling  attending  us  seemed  particularly  sweet  and 
solemn.  Dear  L.  M.  Hoag  appeared  beautifully  in  sup- 
plication ;  and  soon  afterwards  rose  with  the  passage, 
"  Whosoever  will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it :  and  who- 
soever will  lose  his  life  for  My  sake  shall  find  it."  He 
powerfully  and  clearly  showed  what  that  life  is,  which 
must  be  lost,  before  the  life  which  we  have  in  Christ  is 
to  be  obtained.  The  people  were  deeply  interested  and 
affected :  but  he  had  not  proceeded  far  before  some 
noise  was  heard  in  the  passage.  We  were,  however, 
preserved  in  much  quietude ;  the  persons  in  the  room 
being  very  still  while  L.  M.  Hoag  proceeded  with  his 
powerful  address ;  and  I  was  unusually  helped  in  the 
interpreting.  But  the  talking  in  the  passage  became 
louder.  J.  T.  Price,  who  had  gone  out,  was  insulted. 
He  found  that  some  children  had  brought  tin  kettles, 
on  which  they  were  striking  to  make  as  much  noise  as 
possible.  Still  the  meeting  was  quiet,  whilst  L.  M. 
Hoag  made  an  appeal  to  those  who  lived  without  God 
in  the  world ;  bringing  into  view  the  hour,  which  was 
not  far  distant  for  any  of  us,  in  which  all  would  have 
to  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ.  He  had 
scarcely  pronounced  the  passage  relating  to  the  separa- 
tion of  the  sheep  from  the  goats,  and  uttered  the  words, 
"  Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire  pre- 
pared for  the  devil  and  his  angels,"  when  the  uproar 
increased ;  and  it  was  whispered  through  the  room  that 
hundreds  of  persons  were  collected  about  the  house,  and 
that  they  had  brought  a  fire-engine.  The  house  was 


1846.]       TUMUL  TUOUS  MEETING  A T  AIGLE.  129 

completely  in  the  possession  of  the  populace.  They 
guarded  every  outlet,  so  that  none  of  those  who  had 
attended  the  meeting  might  go  out  without  being 
drenched  by  the  fire-engine,  which,  amid  the  vocifera- 
tions of  the  crowd,  was  worked  by  half  a  dozen  men 
against  the  windows  of  the  room  in  which  we  had  met. 
The  terror  of  many  of  the  poor  women  who  surrounded 
us  was  such  as  to  excite  our  deepest  sympathy.  We 
had  no  fear  for  ourselves.  The  fury  of  the  people 
seemed  directed  rather  against  those  who  had  attended 
the  meeting  than  against  us.  Our  landlord  insisted 
that  we  should  leave  the  meeting  room  and  retire  to  a 
bed-room  upstairs;  for  he  thought  the  ruffians  would 
soon  come  into  the  house,  and  that,  perhaps,  they 
would  sooner  leave  off  their  acts  of  barbarity  when  they 
saw  the  meeting  was  quite  broken  up.  We  reluctantly 
retired.  I  twice  attempted  to  go  down  to  them  ;  but  it 
was  impossible  to  penetrate  the  crowd  of  roughs  who 
had  invaded  the  house ;  and  we  had  only  the  additional 
distress  of  seeing  them  drag  down  the  poor  women 
in  order  to  submit  them  to  the  drenching  of  their  fire- 
engine.  The  tumult  lasted  about  two  hours,  until 
nearly  ten  o'clock. 

The  landlord  behaved  very  well  on  the  occasion ; 
presenting  himself  to  the  mob  and  threatening  them 
with  the  damages  which  might  be  done  to  his  house ; 
and  telling  them  to  do  what  they  wanted  with  him  but 
to  spare  the  strangers  whom  he  had  in  his  house.  He 
afterwards  went  to  the  magistrates.  The  Syndic  being 
absent,  our  landlord  tried  to  induce  the  others  to  come 
to  protect  his  house,  which  they  at  last  did,  though  not 
without  reluctance.  It  almost  seemed  as  though  magis- 


130      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1846. 

trates  and  people  were  agreed  in  this  diabolical  work. 
If  the  meeting  had  been  held  in  the  place  where  the 
Methodists  assemble,  probably  things  would  have  been 
a  great  deal  worse,  for  there  we  should  have  had  no  one 
to  protect  us. 

We  had  intended  to  return  to  Vevay  that  evening ; 
but  it  was  eleven  o'clock  before  the  house  was  quite 
cleared  of  our  disturbers,  and  it  was  not  considered  safe 
to  set  off  at  night  after  such  an  event.  We  therefore 
went  to  bed,  but  it  was  long  before  I  went  to  sleep.  I 
believe  we  all  felt  thankful  for  our  preservation,  and  I 
hope  the  event,  trying  as  it  was,  will  do  good  rather 
than  harm. 

Returning  to  England  by  way  of  Berne,  Stras- 
bourg, Manheim,  and  Cologne,  Christine  Majolier 
writes : 

In  the  parting  opportunity  at  Ostend,  L.  M.  Hoag 
returned  thanks  for  the  many  favours  we  had  experi- 
enced. He  prayed  for  all  those  who  had  been  visited 
in  different  parts,  that  they  might  be  brought  more  fully 
into  the  liberty  of  the  Gospel,  their  dependence  being 
drawn  from  outward  things  to  the  living  substance.  He 
also  supplicated  for  himself  and  his  fellow-labourers,  that 
they  might  be  kept  and  preserved  in  a  state  of  humble 
dependence,  and  that  imperfections  and  shortcomings  in 
the  work  might  be  forgiven ;  concluding  with  fervent 
intercession  for  our  beloved  Society,  both  in  England 
and  America. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

(1847—1856.) 

Her  Marriage — "Acknowledgment  "  as  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel — 
Removal  from  Chelsea  and  settlement  at  Stoke  Newington. 

r  I  "WO    events    must   now   be    recorded    which 
JL       had  an  important  influence  upon  Christine 
Majolier's    future    life :     her    marriage,    and     her 
"acknowledgment"  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel. 

The  name  of  Robert  Alsop  has  already  been 
several  times  mentioned  in  connection  with  her 
recent  journey  with  Lindley  Murray  Hoag.  Robert 
Alsop  was  a  much  esteemed  member  of  the  Society 
of  Friends.  He  had  been  long  known  as  a  Phar- 
maceutical Chemist  in  Sloane  Square,  Chelsea, 
and  in  connection  with  the  late  Jacob  Bell  had 
rendered  essential  service  as  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society,  in  which  he  long 
acted  as  an  honorary  Examiner.  He  had  been  now 
for  some  years  a  widower,  his  first  wife  having 
died  in  the  year  1841.  The  association  into  which 
he  and  Christine  Majolier  had  been  brought  during 
their  journey  with  Lindley  M.  Hoag,  gradually 
ripened  into  a  closer  intimacy,  resulting  in  a  union 
in  which  they  were  richly  blessed  together  for  nearly 
thirty  years.  They  were  married  at  the  Friends' 
Meeting-house,  Stoke  Newington,  on  the  28th  of 


132       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1847. 

First  month,  1847.  By  this  event  Christine  M. 
Alsop — as  we  must  now  call  her — became,  for  a 
few  years,  a  member  of  Westminster  "  Monthly 
Meeting,"  within  the  limits  of  which  her  husband 
then  resided. 

The  Society  of  Friends,  as  is  well  known,  recog- 
nise the  ministry  of  women,  in  subjection  to  the 
government  of  Christ  under  the  guidance  of  His 
Spirit.  They  conceive  that  the  Gospel  is  not, 
in  this  or  in  any  other  respect,  a  dispensation 
narrower  than  the  Law.  They  believe,  with  the 
Prophet  Joel  and  the  Apostle  Peter,  that  it  is  a 
dispensation  under  which  "  daughters,"  as  well 
as  "sons,"  are  to  "prophesy."*  Accepting  the 
apostolic  definition,  that  to  "  prophesy "  is  "  to 
speak  unto  men  to  edification,  and  exhortation, 
and  comfort,"t  they  do  not  overlook  the  fact  that 
the  Apostle  Paul  himself  gives  directions  as  to  the 
exercise  by  women  of  this  gift  ;|  that  he  freely 
recognised  the  services  of  Priscilla  as  well  as  of 
Aquila,§  and  that  he  was  a  guest  at  Csesarea  in 
the  House  of  Philip  the  Evangelist,  who  had  "  four 
daughters"  who  all  "prophesied."]]  It  was  not, 
they  are  persuaded,  the  design  of  the  Apostle  to 
nullify,  by  words  of  seeming  restriction  employed 
by  him  on  two  occasions,  the  great  principle  thus 
authoritatively  asserted  and  acted  on.  The  seem- 

*  Joel  ii.  28-32;  Acts  ii.  16, 17.     f  I  Cor.  xiv.  3.     J  i  Cor.  xi.  5. 
§  Acts  xviii.  26 ;  Rom.  xvi.  3.     ||  Acts  xxi.  8,  9. 


I854-]  "ACKNOWLEDGMENT"  AS  A  MINISTER.       133 

ing  restriction  is  rather,  in  their  view,  to  be  itself 
interpreted  and  limited  in  harmony  with  the  general 
principle.  Christine  M.  Alsop  had  seen  the  exer- 
cise of  this  gift  at  once  powerfully  illustrated  and 
vindicated  in  the  examples  of  Priscilla  Gurney  and 
Elizabeth  Fry.  Her  duties  as  an  "interpreter" 
had  brought  her  into  close  sympathy  with  many 
labourers  in  the  Gospel;  and  as  she  became  more 
and  more  established  in  the  love  of  Christ,  she  was 
constrained  to  believe  that  she  had  herself  received 
a  commission  from  Him  to  declare  to  others  the 
riches  of  His  grace.  Her  first  public  utterances 
as  a  minister  were  amongst  her  own  friends  in  the 
little  meeting  at  Nimes.  After  her  marriage  she 
was  often  similarly  engaged  in  the  Meeting  at 
Peter's  Court,  near  Charing  Cross,  which  she 
usually  attended,  as  well  as  in  other  meetings  of 
"  Friends "  in  and  about  London.  Her  public 
addresses  were  acceptable  and  edifying  to  her 
friends,  and  her  gift  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel 
was  solemnly  recognised  by  Westminster  Monthly 
Meeting  on  the  24th  of  Seventh  Month,  1854. 
Her  ministry  was  marked  by  simplicity,  and  by  an 
earnest  yet  tender  concern  that  all  might  accept 
the  rich  blessings  offered  to  fallen  man  in  the 
Gospel  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ; 
and  that,  under  the  sanctifying  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  their  daily  walk  might  be  worthy  of  their 
high  vocation. 

The  following  memorandum  sweetly  illustrates 


134      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1854. 

the  state  of  her  mind  amidst  these  added  respon- 
sibilities : 

Third  Month,  1854. — What  a  good  Master  we  serve  ; 
and  He  is  wise  as  well  as  good  !  He  knows  what  we 
can  bear,  and  lays  no  more  upon  us  than  He  enables  us 
to  perform.  He  has  much  to  give,  and  He  gives  in  pro- 
portion to  our  desire  to  receive. 

The  summer  of  1854  was  spent  by  Christine  M. 
Alsop  and  her  husband,  in  company  with  their 
friends  Eli  and  Sybil  Jones  (from  the  State  of 
Maine,  in  North  America),  in  a  visit  of  Christian 
love  to  various  parts  of  Germany,  Switzerland, 
and  France.  The  particulars  of  this  journey  have 
not  been  preserved.  Its  close  was  marked  by  the 
decision  at  which  Robert  Alsop  had  at  length 
arrived,  finally  to  relinquish  his  business  at 
Chelsea. 

The  change  was  not  made  without  some  conflict 
of  feeling.  The  occupation  was  one  exactly  suited 
to  Robert  Alsop's  habits  and  tastes.  It  was  not 
easy  to  sever  the  bond  which  had  so  long  united 
him  to  a  large  circle  of  loved  friends.  But  the 
business  involved  both  pecuniary  risk  and  serious 
moral  responsibility ;  and  now  that  his  frequent 
absence  from  home  obliged  him  to  leave  it  so 
much  under  the  care  of  others,  he  thought  it  his 
duty  to  retire.  It  is  true  that  the  competency 
which  he  had  been  able  to  acquire  would  appear 
to  most  persons  a  very  moderate  one ;  but  with 
a  wife  like-minded  with  himself  their  wants  ex- 


1855.]  QUIET  REFLECTIONS.  135 

tended  not  to  superfluities.  In  that  which  had 
been  given  them  they  felt  that  they  were  per- 
mitted to  "  have  all  and  to  abound."  At  once 
satisfied  and  thankful,  they  became  a  bright  ex- 
ample of  the  true  enjoyment  granted  to  those 
whose  desires  are  limited  by  the  will  of  God ;  and 
whose  delight  is  in  His  service.  Thus  liberated 
from  business  cares,  and  with  these  views,  they 
removed,  in  the  autumn  of  1855,  to  Stoke  Nevv- 
ington,  where  they  continued  to  reside  till  their 
death. 

Referring  to  these  changes,  Christine  M.  Alsop 
writes  in  her  journal : 

We  were  mercifully  permitted  to  feel  that  we  were 
not  acting  against  the  will  of  our  Heavenly  Father. 
Yet  we  were  often  led  to  reconsider  the  rectitude  of  our 
steppings  in  leaving  the  home  in  which  we  had  been 
favoured  with  so  much  peaceful  enjoyment ;  particularly 
as  this  change  must  remove  us  from  our  own  Meeting 
(Westminster) ;  and,  as  it  regarded  my  husband  espe- 
cially, from  the  district  where  he  had  been  so  many 
years  usefully  engaged  and  greatly  beloved.  We  passed 
several  months  of  anxious  thought ;  and  the  trial  of 
our  faith  was  not  a  little  increased  by  the  visitation  of 
cholera  in  some  parts  of  the  metropolis.  Our  part  of 
the  town,  though  not  among  the  worst  districts,  was 
fearfully  visited.  My  dear  husband  and  I  remained  at 
Chelsea  during  the  continuance  of  the  epidemic,  unable 
to  do  much  more  than  attend  to  the  increased  claims  of 
business ;  with  our  minds  impressed  with  the  uncertainty 
of  earthly  things. 


136      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1856. 

Since  our  removal  I  feel  it  a  great  blessing  to  have  a 
comfortable  and  quiet  home,  in  the  midst  of  most  kind 
and  affectionate  friends.  The  field  before  us  is  wide, 
and  the  question  often  arises,  "Who  is  sufficient  for 
these  things?"  Were  it  not  that  sometimes  the  dear 
Saviour  is  pleased  to  breathe  into  the  soul  the  gracious 
assurance,  "  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee,  for  My 
strength  is  made  perfect  in  weakness,"  how  could  we 
hope  to  bear  any  of  the  burden  which,  as  we  advance  in 
years,  seems  to  devolve  upon  us?  May  I  look  unto 
Jesus,  humbly  desiring  to  serve  Him  from  a  sense  of 
love  and  gratitude  for  all  His  marvellous  love ;  for  His 
forgiveness ;  and  for  His  truth. 

Third  Month,  i6/A,  1856. — Keep  alive,  O  Lord,  in  my 
soul  a  humble  but  full  reliance  on  Thy  atoning  mercy 
for  all  my  past  transgressions ;  and  preserve  me,  I  pray 
Thee,  from  sinning  against  Thee.  Grant  me  ability 
and  an  increasing  willingness  to  speak  well  of  Thy 
Holy  name.  We  are  not  always  permitted  to  live  as  in 
the  sunshine,  in  the  sense  of  God's  love  to  a  fallen 
world  and  to  our  individual  souls.  Many  are  the  hin- 
drances to  our  spiritual  enjoyments ;  and  many  are  the 
sins  of  unbelief,  of  negligence,  of  forgetfulness,  of 
want  of  fervour  in  the  pursuit  of  heavenly  things,  which 
prevent  our  discerning  with  clearness  of  vision  those 
glorious  things  which  are  held  out  in  the  Gospel  as  the 
experience  of  the  true  believer  in  Jesus ;  and  when  feel- 
ing that  they  are  not  our  undisturbed  possession  we  are 
sometimes  tempted  to  lower  the  promises  down  to  our 
experience.  The  Lord  grant  that  I  may  more  and 
more  highly  appreciate  the  inestimable  blessings  of  the 
Gospel  of  peace;  and  seek  through  living  faith  to 


1856.]  PREPARATIONS  FOR  FURTHER  SERVICE.      137 

become  increasingly  a  partaker  of  those  blessings ;  so 
that  I  may  truly  abound  in  love  towards  Him,  earnestly 
coveting  the  best  gifts  as  well  as  the  graces  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

When  I  reflect  on  the  salvation  which  is  offered  to 
our  acceptance,  the  full  pardon  of  our  sins  for  the  sake 
of  Him  who  was  made  sin  for  us,  though  He  knew  no 
sin,  I  confidingly  believe  that  my  many  sins  are  forgiven 
me,  and  for  this  assurance  my  heart  is  at  times  melted 
into  gratitude  and  love ;  but  when  I  look  back  on  many 
past  sins,  in  which  my  example  of  carelessness  as  to 
things  of  the  greatest  importance  must  have  influenced 
many ;  as  well  as  on  the  many,  very  many,  opportunities 
in  which  I  might  have  adorned  the  doctrine  of  our 
Lord,  and  have  been  through  His  blessing  made  instru- 
mental in  bringing  souls  unto  Christ,  I  am  humbled ; 
and  my  soul  is  made  sad  that  so  much  of  my  precious 
life  and  of  the  few  talents  which  have  been  committed 
to  me  should  have  been  so  little  improved.  I  desire 
that  these  retrospects  may  not  tend  to  impede,  but  that 
they  may  rather  stimulate  my  present  walk.  May  I  keep 
truly  on  the  watch  so  as  to  embrace  every  opportunity 
the  Lord  may  put  in  my  way  of  magnifying  His  exceed- 
ing grace. 

Such  was  the  preparation  going  on  in  the  heart 
of  Christine  M.  Alsop  for  the  further  important 
service  which  was  now  opening  before  her. 

J 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

(1856-1857.) 

Accompanies  Eliza  P.  Gurney  in  a  visit  to  the  Vaudois  Valleys, 
and  other  parts  of  the  North  of  Italy,  and  to  Friends  in 
the  South  of  France — Interview  with  the  widow  of  the 
Duke  of  Orleans  at  Sestri,  and  with  the  Dowager  Empress  of 
Russia — Decease  of  Justine  Benezet — Accompanies  Eliza  P. 
Gurney  in  a  visit  to  Friends  of  Pyrmont  and  Minden — Inter- 
view with  the  King  and  Queen,  and  his  sister,  the  Dowager 
Empress  of  Russia — Nahneebaweequay. 

SOON  after  their  removal  to  Stoke  Newington, 
Robert  and  Christine  M.  Alsop  accompanied 
Eliza  P.  Gurney,  (the  widow  of  our  late  beloved 
friend,  Joseph  John  Gurney,)  in  an  extensive  visit 
on  the  Continent,  and  they  were  with  her  again  the 
next  year.  The  first  journey,  in  1856,  embraced  a 
visit  to  the  Vaudois  Valleys ;  where  they  often  found 
themselves  in  the  track  of  William  Forster,  who 
had  previously  laboured  there  in  the  year  1853. 
It  included  also  the  north  of  Italy,  Turin,  Milan, 
Genoa,  and  Nice.  Near  Genoa,  Eliza  P.  Gurney 
and  her  companions  had  an  interview  with  "  that 
lovely  Princess,"  the  widow  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans, 
at  Sestri.  They  afterwards  had  a  similar  inter- 
view with  the  Dowager  Empress  of  Russia  (the 
widow  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas),  at  Nice.  Both 
these  visits  were  of  a  memorable  and  interesting 
(138) 


1856.]          JOURNEY  WITH  E.  P.   GURNEY.  139 

character.  From  Nice  they  proceeded  to  Nimes 
and  Congenies.  In  the  following  year — 1857 — 
they  paid  a  visit  to  the  Friends  at  Pyrmont  and 
Minden,  and  afterwards  proceeded  to  Berlin,  where 
they  were  permitted  to  have  two  interviews  with 
the  King  Frederick  William,  one  of  which  was  in 
company  with  his  Queen  and  his  sister,  the  Dowager 
Empress  of  Russia,  whom  they  had  seen  at  Nice  the 
previous  year.  The  Grand  Duke  Michael  and  his 
intended  bride,  the  Princess  Cecile,  of  Baden,  were 
also  present. 

Some  extracts  from  Christine  M.  Alsop's  Journal 
may  be  interesting  to  the  reader : 

Tenth  Month,  ith,  1856. — Left  London.  Remained 
in  Paris  one  day  to  rest,  and  on  the  gth  went  by  railway 
to  Lyons.  The  day  was  fine  and  the  country  beautiful. 
We  followed  the  windings  of  the  rapid  and  picturesque 
Arc  rolling  down  among  rocks ;  the  road,  often  encased 
between  high  ridges  of  rocks,  in  other  places  presenting 
beautiful  green  slopes,  surrounded  by  forests  of  trees  just 
now  presenting  a  charming  aspect  by  the  various  tints 
of  the  autumn  foliage. 

We  dined  at  Aiguebelle,  and  afterwards  walked  out  to 
see  the  river  and  the  railroad.  The  latter  is  much  ad- 
vanced, and  likely  to  be  opened  from  Aix  to  St.  Jean  de 
Maurienne  at  the  end  of  this  month.  We  gave  a  few 
tracts.  Arrived  at  St.  Jean  de  Maurienne  about  six. 
The  situation  of  St.  Jean  is  very  picturesque. 

Foil r/k- Jay,  i$t/i. — Set  off  early  for  Lanslebourg, 
and  dined  at  Modane.  The  drive  most  beautiful ; 
stupendous  rocks  often  on  both  sides,  with  the  river 


140     MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1856. 


Arc  tumbling  and  foaming  as  it  goes.  The  autumnal 
tints  adding  much  beauty  to  the  scenery.  The  country 
picturesque,  but  very  poor,  nothing  growing  besides 
a  little  rye.  It  was  curious  to  watch  the  gradual 
disappearance  of  vegetation.  At  Modane  only  pota- 
toes and  rye ;  higher  still  these  disappear ;  and  at 
last  nothing  but  a  very  few  firs.  The  evening  was 
beautiful  The  bright  moonlight,  the  high  moun- 
tains, the  roaring  of  the  waters  of  the  Arc,  which  we 
are  now  going  to  leave,  rendered  the  scene  uncommonly 
fine. 

Fifth-day,  i6th. — Set  off  about  half-past  eight,  and 
were  able  to  enjoy  the  beautiful  views.  Lanslebourg 
lay  for  a  long  time  at  our  feet  as  we  wound  up  the 
road  on  the  Mont  Cenis,  the  stupendous  work  of  the 
Imperial  road  maker.  We  ascended  for  five  hours  and 
a-half,  drawn  by  two  strong  mules ;  our  two  horses 
walking  behind.  At  the  summit  we  felt  very  cold. 
We  got  out  to  warm  our  feet.  There  was  a  little 
drizzling  snow,  and  a  cold  wind,  and  we  were  glad  of 
the  shelter  afforded  by  our  little  carriage.  No  vegeta- 
tion but  a  little  grass.  Before  we  come  to  the  Hospice, 
there  is  a  small  lake.  Behind  the  Hospice  a  few 
larch  trees  make  a  little  break  in  the  desolate  appear- 
ance. We  stopped  for  a  couple  of  hours  to  rest  at  a 
comfortless,  dirty  house  We  could  scarcely  find  a 
place  to  sit  down  in,  but  went  at  last  to  the  large 
kitchen.  There  were  four  or  five  fine  young  women ; 
and  we  heard  there  were  six  sisters  and  two  brothers  in 
the  family.  Gave  them  some  tracts  and  a  Testament ; 
they  seemed  to  value  the  Testament,  although  Roman 
Catholics.  Alas  !  who  knows  how  long  they  will  keep 


1856.]  ARRIVAL   AT  LA    TOUR.  141 

it.  They  attend  mass  at  the  Hospice.  They  look  for- 
ward with  pleasure  to  reading  it  in  their  long  winter 
evenings,  and  as  they  cannot  go  to  church  they  will  not 
"  confess  "  till  they  have  read  it. 

The  descent  of  Mont  Cenis  to  Susa  is  very  grand ; 
first  the  larch  trees  make  their  appearance ,  then  beech, 
cabbages,  turnips,  and  then  the  chestnut  trees ;  then 
vines  near  Susa.  The  sun  was  shining  beautifully,  cast- 
ing a  beautiful  rainbow  on  the  drops  of  rain  which 
descended  on  the  sides  of  the  opposite  mountain. 

The  little  town  of  Susa  is  picturesque  ;  the  appear- 
ance quite  Italian.  We  stayed  there  several  hours, 
waiting  for  the  train.  The  inn  comfortable  and  not 
very  expensive. 

A  journey  of  about  two  hours  by  railway  brought  us 
to  Turin.  A  bright  moonlight  night. 

From  Turin  they  proceeded,  the  next  day,  by 
way  of  Pignerol,  to  La  Tour  (Torre  Pellice)  in  the 
Vaudois  Valleys.  Christine  M  Alsop  writes: 

Our  arrival  at  La  Tour  was  certainly  damping,  as  it 
rained  in  torrents,  and  continued  to  do  so  the  whole  of 
Seventh-day,  First-day,  and  Second-day.  I  never  wit- 
nessed such  continuous  heavy  rain  ;  three  days  and 
three  nights  I  think  without  ceasing.  Water  pipes 
from  the  roofs  of  the  houses  discharged  themselves 
by  one  projecting  a  couple  of  feet  from  the  roof  into 
the  street  below ;  so  that  there  was  a  continual 
tremendous  patter ;  and  the  roaring  of  the  mountain 
torrents  rendered  our  arrival  and  first  stay  here  any- 
thing but  bright  and  encouraging.  Nevertheless, 
on  First-day  evening,  in  spite  of  the  rain,  we  had 


142       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1856. 

a    meeting    with    about    thirty-eight    persons    at    our 
hotel. 

Adele  Revel,  the  wife  of  the  moderator,  has  been 
most  kind.  She  called  to  welcome  us  on  our  arrival, 
and  has  since  been  most  attentive.  She  and  her  hus- 
band were  present  at  the  meeting,  as  well  as  several 
other  pastors  and  their  wives.  Pastor  Tron  and  his  wife 
are  very  agreeable  persons.  E.  P.  Gurney  addressed 
us  very  sweetly.  Robert  and  I  added  a  few  words. 
Pastor  Revel  said  that  he  had  been  reminded  of  the 
saying  of  the  Apostle,  "Paul  planteth,  and  Apollos 
watereth,  but  God  alone  giveth  the  increase."  "Our 
friend  William  Forster,"  he  added,  "  now  with  God, 
came  to  sow  amongst  us  precious  seed  ,  our  dear  sister 
is  now  come  to  water  it ;  let  us  pray  that  the  Lord  may 
be  pleased  to  give  it  the  increase  in  our  hearts,  to  bear 
much  fruit  to  his  praise."  Dear  Robert  said,  "And 
neither  is  he  that  planteth  anything,  nor  he  that 
watereth,  but  God  that  giveth  the  increase."  Immedi- 
ately after  this,  dear  E.  P.  Gurney  supplicated,  begin- 
ning with  the  words,  "  Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto 
us,"  &c.  It  was  a  solemn  time.  The  prayer  was  not 
translated. 

On  the  2ist  we  visited  the  Orphanage,  established 
at  the  suggestion  of  William  Forster.  The  mistress 
is  a  sweet  person,  a  Deaconess  from  Switzerland. 
There  are  twenty-two  girls.  We  took  tea  in  the  even- 
ing at  the  Revels  Adele  Revel  is  very  pleasing.  She 
had  invited  the  Trons  and  Geymonats  to  meet  us.  A 
few  others  came  in  afterwards,  and  we  had  our  cer- 
tificate read  by  Pastor  Revel.  They  expressed  their 
satisfaction  in  warm  terms.  We  then  had  a  very  sweet 


1856.]  LA    TOUR.  143 

religious  opportunity.  In  the  morning  we  had  also 
walked  to  the  Hospital ;  a  fine  commodious  building. 
They  have  beds  for  sixteen,  and  are  generally  full. 

On  Fourth-day,  the  22nd,  we  visited  the  Ragged 
School,  established  by  Pastor  George  Appia  for  the 
poorest  children ;  some  of  them  are  entirely  cared  for, 
others  bring  their  dinner  with  them.  A  lady  of  the 
name  of  D'Espine  devotes  a  great  deal  of  time  to  it. 
The  responsibility  for  funds  rests  on  Pastor  Appia.  We 
also  visited  the  boarding  and  day  school  of  his  sister. 
It  is  an  excellent  institution.  We  had  a  religious  oppor- 
tunity with  the  girls,  about  sixty  in  number.  Louisa 
Appia  seems  well  qualified  for  the  post ;  many  of  the 
girls  are  very  pleasing.  The  children  are  gentle  and 
submissive  as  well  as  intelligent;  but  they  appear 
somewhat  wanting  in  power  and  in  strength  of  char- 
acter. Dear  E.  P.  Gurney's  address  to  them  was 
particularly  sweet,  and  they  seemed  to  feel  it  to  be  so. 
Several  of  them  were  in  tears  as  she  addressed  those 
who  might  be  able  to  adopt  the  language,  "  When  my 
father  and  my  mother  forsake  me,  then  the  Lord  will 
take  me  up," 

On  the  23rd  E.  P.  Gurney  attended  a  meeting  held 
in  Louisa  Appia's  schoolroom.  It  was  an  important 
day  for  the  pastors.  They  had  assembled  from  various 
parts  to  elect  two  Professors  of  Theology ;  Pastors  Revel 
and  Geymonat  being  only  there  for  a  time.  About  100 
came  to  the  meeting;  and  some  of  the  pastors  amongst 
them.  E.  P.  Gurney  spoke  at  some  length  on  the  ex- 
perience of  Peter ;  his  denying  his  Lord  after  so  much 
self-confidence. 

On  the   25th  we  wrote  letters,  rested,  and  visited 


144       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1856. 

Professor  Tron  in  the  evening.  He  and  his  wife  are 
very  kind,  and  appear  earnest  Christians.  They  live 
in  one  of  the  pretty  row  of  houses  built  by  General 
Beckwith  for  the  Professors  of  their  college,  which  is 
close  by. 

E.  P.  Gurney  and  Robert  and  Christine  M.  Alsop 
had  meetings  at  most  of  the  other  places  in  the 
valleys.  Describing  their  visit  to  Angrogna,  Chris- 
tine M.  Alsop  writes : 

I  felt  so  stiff  and  in  so  much  pain  that  it  seemed 
almost  like  presumption  to  think  of  attempting  to  go 
up  the  mountains  on  a  donkey.  I  stayed  in  bed  till 
late  in  the  morning.  But  when  the  time  came,  I  did 
not  feel  inclined  to  be  left  behind  ;  although  our  friend 
Revel  had  offered  to  interpret  for  E.  P.  Gurney;  so  I 
mounted  my  little  donkey  and  started ;  E.  P.  Gurney 
and  Fanny  in  the  vehicle — I  cannot  call  it  a  carriage. 
Robert  walked  by  the  side,  stick  in  hand ;  one  man 
leading  the  horse,  another  minding  me  and  my  donkey. 
How  I  wish  a  good  photographer  could  have  taken  us 
as  we  began  our  ascent ;  especially  if  he  could  have 
given  an  adequate  view  of  the  magnificent  mountains. 
The  morning  was  splendid.  E.  P.  Gurney  walked 
up  all  the  steep  parts.  I  kept  close  to  my  steed,  who 
toiled  up  with  his  burden  pretty  comfortably.  Many 
times  did  we  stop  to  admire  the  scenery.  We  arrived 
at  Angrogna  in  good  time ;  E.  P.  Gurney  less  tired 
than  she  expected. 

Charles  and  Caroline  Gay  received  us  very  warmly, 
and  made  E.  P.  Gurney  most  comfortable.  We  lodged 
at  the  schoolmaster 's,  which  was  also  very  comfort- 


1856.]  ANGROGNA.  145 

able.  I  was  truly  glad  to  rest  a  little  on  the  bed, 
which  we  were  told  had  not  been  slept  in  since 
last  year.  About  seven,  the  schoolroom  was  full  of 
people.  It  was  with  some  difficulty  we  could  pass 
through  the  crowd  which  filled  the  place ;  many  were 
standing.  It  was  the  most  animating  sight  we  have 
had  since  we  have  been  here ;  they  seemed  the  real 
sort;  true  mountaineers,  and  glad  to  see  us  amongst 
them. 

After  a  little  explanation  of  our  views  on  worship, 
and  a  time  of  solemn  silence,  E.  P.  Gurney  rose  with 
the  words,  "The  voice  said,  Cry,  and  I  said,  What 
shall  I  cry?"  &c.  She  spoke  on  the  uncertainty  of 
time ;  on  the  state  of  roan  by  nature ;  on  the  rich 
mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus ;  of  the  necessity  6f 
believing  what  is  declared  in  the  sacred  volume  con- 
cerning the  Saviour  of  the  world ;  and  that  there  must 
be,  with  this  faith,  a  submitting  to  the  sanctifying 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  order  that  this  great 
salvation  may  be  ours.  She  spoke  in  very  encouraging 
language  to  those  who  loved  the  Lord  Jesus  in  sin- 
cerity, and  who  counted  nothing  too  dear  or  too  near 
to  part  with,  that  they  may  win  Christ  and  be  found 
in  Him;  believing  that  many  then  present  were  of  this 
number.  In  conclusion,  she  expressed  her  fervent 
desire  that,  as  in  all  probability  we  should  never 
meet  again  upon  earth,  we  might,  through  the  fulness 
and  freeness  of  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus, 
meet  before  His  throne  and  each  hear  the  blessed 
language,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter 
thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord."  Robert  and  I  added  a 
little  to  this  exhortation  ;  after  which  I  expressed  a  few 


146       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1856. 

words  in  prayer.  It  was  striking  to  observe  the  great 
stillness,  and  to  see  with  how  fixed  an  attention  these 
inhabitants  of  the  mountains,  some  of  whom  had  come 
from  two  or  three  hours'  distance,  were  drinking  in  the 
truths  that  were  declared.  At  the  close,  the  pastor 
expressed  his  thankfulness  for  the  visit,  which  he  be- 
lieved was  united  in  by  the  congregation.  He  then 
gave  out  a  hymn,  which  was  sung  most  earnestly  at  the 
highest  pitch  of  their  voices  by  the  men  and  women ; 
reminding  me  of  what  I  have  often  heard  respecting 
the  poor  persecuted  Protestants  of  the  Cevennes ;  who, 
although  this  psalm-singing  exposed  them  to  the  sever- 
est persecution  by  indicating  the  place  of  their  meeting, 
did  not  desist.  As  we  left,  we  had  to  shake  hands  with 
all ;  sometimes  two  or  three  grasping  our  hands  at  the 
same  time ;  and  two  women  kissing  dear  E.  P.  Gurney 
most  earnestly.  The  affection  of  all  and  the  tears  of 
some  were  quite  touching  \  and  I  felt  very  thankful  that 
I  had  been  there. 

This  description  will  give  some  idea  of  the 
general  character  of  the  meetings.  At  one  place 
the  pastor  and  his  wife,  who  had  eight  children, 
were  very  anxious  to  lodge  them  all  for  the  night. 
"  The  pastor's  wife  said  she  would  make  a  very 
warm  fire,  and  put  on  one  of  the  largest  pieces  of 
wood  she  could  find ;  have  nice  clean  linen :  get 
another  bed,  &c. — in  fact,  she  would  do  every- 
thing in  her  power  to  serve  us."  During  this  visit 
they  had  much  Christian  association  with  Pastor 
Lantaret  (who  still  survives,  the  present  venerable 
Moderator  of  the  Synod),  and  with  some  of  the 


1856.]  THE  DUCHESS   OF  ORLEANS.  147 

other   pastors.      Altogether    about  a   month   was 
spent  in  these  valleys. 

Proceeding  to  Genoa,  on  their  way  to  Nice,  they 
visited  the  widow  of  the  late  Duke  of  Orleans,  who 
was  staying  at  Sestri.  Her  popular  husband,  the 
eldest  son  of  the  late  King,  Louis  Philippe,  had 
died,  as  will  be  recollected,  from  the  effects  of  an 
accident,  in  the  summer  of  1842.  She  remembered 
the  previous  visit  of  E.  P.  Gurney  and  Elizabeth 
Fry,  and  expressed  much  pleasure  that  she  had  not 
been  forgotten.  Her  circumstances  had  much 
changed  since  their  last  interview.  Her  pallid, 
worn,  and  subdued  countenance  told  that  she  had 
been  a  woman  of  sorrow ;  yet  there  was  in  her  de- 
portment the  evidence  that  she  was  supported ;  and 
no  murmur  escaped  her  lips.  Christine  M.  Alsop 
writes : 

After  a  time  of  silence,  E.  P.  Gurney  addressed  her 
very  sweetly,  beginning  with  the  passage,  "In  the 
Lord's  hand  there  is  a  cup;  it  is  full  of  mixture."  She 
alluded  to  the  many  afflictions  which  had  been  her  por- 
tion, but  encouraged  her  to  believe  that  the  Lord 
afflicteth  in  mercy,  and  that  it  is  only  the  wicked  who 
have  to  drink  of  the  dregs  of  this  cup.  They  that  feared 
the  Lord  would  be  preserved  even  in  the  midst  of  sore 
tribulation.  This  E.  P.  Gurney  believed  had  been  the 
case  with  the  Duchess ;  and  she  expressed  the  trust  that 
it  would  be  so  to  the  end,  if  there  were  a  keeping  close 
in  faith  unto  Him  who  is  able  to  heal  every  wound. 
The  Duchess  thanked  us  warmly  for  the  visit,  and  ex- 
pressed hei  wish  that  we  should  visit  the  widowed  ex- 


148       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1856- 

Queen  of  the  French  at   Claremont  on  our  return  to 

England. 

On  their  arrival  at  Nice,  they  found  that  the 
Dowager  Empress  of  Russia,  (the  widow  of  the 
Emperor  Nicholas),  who  was  in  poor  health,  was 
passing  the  winter  there ;  and  as  E.  P.  Gurney  did 
not  feel  easy  to  leave  without  attempting  an  inter- 
view, one  was  at  last  obtained,  though  with  some 
difficulty  ;  as  they  were  told  that  up  to  that  time 
the  Empress  had  lived  incognito.  The  visit  seemed 
much  appreciated.  She  referred  with  much  interest 
to  the  visit  of  Joseph  Sturge,  Robert  Charleton, 
and  Henry  Pease,  who  had  gone  to  Petersburg  to 
address  the  Emperor  Nicholas  previously  to  the 
Crimean  War.  As  they  parted  the  Empress  said, 
"  I  hope  a  blessing  will  attend  your  being  in  this 
room." 

Before  E.  P.  Gurney  entered  upon  the  visit  to 
the  Friends  in  the  South  of  France,  Robert  Alsop 
was  summoned  home  to  the  dying  bed  of  his 
mother.  She  was  a  valued  minister  of  the  Gospel 
among  Friends.  He  was  in  time  to  receive  her  last 
loving  recognition,  and  to  witness  her  peaceful 
close.  He  afterwards  joined  his  wife  and  E.  P. 
Gurney  at  Congenies,  continuing  with  them  till 
their  return  home. 

It  was  a  little  before  this  time,  in  the  winter  of 
1855,  that  Christine  M.  Alsop's  cousin,  Justine 
Benezet,  who  had  become  the  wife  of  Jules  Paradon, 
was  called  to  her  Heavenly  rest. 


I857-]    INTERVIEW  WITH  KING  OP  PRUSSIA.      149 

When  we  were  in  France  last  winter  (Christine  M.  Alsop 
writes  in  her  journal),  she  appeared  failing  as  to  bodily 
health,  though  bright  and  lively  in  spirit.  She  soon 
became  alarmingly  ill ;  and,  after  many  weeks  of  excru- 
ciating suffering,  which  she  was  enabled  to  bear  with 
exemplary  patience,  joy,  and  resignation,  she  died  in 
the  peace  of  her  Lord,  leaving  a  sorrowing  husband  and 
a  little  boy  two  years  old.  She  will  be  much  missed  by 
the  scattered  few  under  our  name  in  the  South 
of  France,  amongst  whom  she  had  been  for  many 
years  a  faithful  labourer.  She  was  a  truly  humble, 
devoted  Christian,  sound  in  doctrine  and  exemplary  in 
life. 

In    the    summer   of    the    following   year,    1857, 
Robert  and  Christine  M.  Alsop  accompanied  E.  P. 
Gurney  on    a   visit   to   the    Friends    in    Germany. 
They  afterwards  went  to  Potsdam,  in  the  hope  of 
seeing  the    King   of  Prussia,   partly    from    a    feel- 
ing of  religious    interest,  and    partly  to    represent 
to  him  the  case  of  a  poor  prisoner  they  had  visited, 
named  Miiller,  who  was  subjected  to  great  suffer- 
ing for  refusing  to  bear  arms.     On  the  day  fixed 
for  the  interview  E.  P.  Gurney  was  ill  in  bed,  and 
quite    unable   to    go.      Robert   and    Christine    M. 
Alsop  were  therefore  obliged  to    go  alone.      On 
their   explaining    to    the    King   the    cause    of    her 
absence,   he  said  he  should  much   have  liked   to 
have  seen  her,  as  he  had  a  sweet  remembrance  of 
Elizabeth    Fry — Madame    Fry,    as    he    called    her. 
They    told    him    of    the    religious    interest    E.    P. 
Gurney  had  felt  about  him,  and  of  the  sufferings 


i$o     MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1857- 

of  the  young  man,  Miiller.  The  King  said,  in 
French,  "  Oh,  that  is  too  bad ;  I  am  so  glad  that 
you  can  tell  me  that  it  is  really  a  case  of  con- 
science ;  for  there  is  the  difficulty."  Another  inter- 
view was  arranged  on  the  23rd  of  Seventh  Month ; 
when  they  had  an  interesting  opportunity  with 
the  King  and  Queen,  and  his  sister,  the  Dowager 
Empress  of  Russia.  Her  son,  the  Grand  Duke 
Michael,  and  his  intended  bride,  the  Princess 
Cecile,  of  Baden,  were  also  present.  The  King 
told  them,  that  all  was  arranged  with  regard  to 
the  young  man,  Miiller;  and  that  he  believed  he 
was  going  to  England.  E.  P.  Gurney  addressed 
the  whole  company  very  impressively.  The  King 
was  very  serious,  and  the  Queen  appeared  much 
touched.  The  Grand  Duke  had  his  eyes  fixed  on 
E.  P.  Gurney  during  the  whole  time  she  spoke. 
"  They  came  forward  "  writes  Christine  M.  Alsop, 
"  to  shake  hands  with  us  as  we  parted ;  and  I 
doubt  whether  we  shall  ever  see  such  a  company 
again." 

At  one  of  the  German  watering  places  E.  P. 
Gurney  remained  a  short  time  for  the  benefit  of 
the  baths.  Whilst  there,  they  had  a  religious 
meeting  in  the  assembly  room  of  the  establish- 
ment at  which  they  were  staying.  They  also  em- 
braced opportunities  of  religious  intercourse  with 
several  of  the  visitors.  Thence  they  proceeded 
to  Basle,  Neufchatel,  and  Lausanne :  concluding 
their  labours  by  a  few  days'  rest  at  Chamounix 


1 860.]  NAHNEEBA  WEE  QUAY.  151 

previously  to  returning  home.     In  the  retrospect  of 
this  journey  Christine  M.  Alsop  writes  : 

We  have  much  to  be  thankful  for  in  the  experience 
which  has  been  granted  of  the  protecting  and  forbearing 
mercy  of  the  Shepherd  of  Israel.  He  has  graciously 
preserved  us  both  in  heights  and  in  depths.  To  Him 
alone  be  the  praise. 

Once  more  settled  at  their  peaceful  home,  other 
objects  crowded  upon  them.  The  welfare  of  the 
aboriginal  races  in  various  parts  of  the  world  had 
long  been  an  object  of  deep  interest  to  Robert  and 
Christine  M.  Alsop.  Nahneebaweequay,  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  chief  of  one  of  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  British 
North  America,  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Owen's 
Sound,  Lake  Huron,  Canada  West,  came  over  to 
England  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1 860,  with 
the  object  of  pleading*  the  cause  of  her  people  in 
this  country,  and  of  representing  it  to  the  Queen ; 
more  especially  as  regards  the  Indian  reservations 
in  Canada.  She  was  alone  and  unprotected,  and 
without  pecuniary  means. 

Robert  and  Christine  M.  Alsop  entered  warmly 
into  her  case,  and  received  Nahneebaweequay  into 
their  house,  where  she  remained  four  months ;  dur- 
ing which  time  she  obtained  an  interview  with  the 
Queen,  Christine  M.  Alsop  accompanying  her.  The 
Queen  was  pleased  to  manifest  her  deep  interest  in 
Nahneebaweequay ;  but  as  the  question  of  the  lands 
had  been  previously  settled,  by  giving  them  over  to 
the  local  government,  nothing  very  important  could 


152       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP     [1860. 

be  accomplished  for  her  people.  But  the  effort  was 
not  altogether  in  vain.  Much  private  interest  was 
elicited,  and  substantial  help  afforded  to  not  a  few 
of  them. 

Nahneebaweequay  was,  by  descent,  a  pure  Indian. 
She  was  a  true  Christian  woman,  having  been  con- 
verted in  early  life.  Her  husband,  William  Sutton, 
was  an  Englishman,  rather  older  than  herself,  who, 
she  used  to  say,  "  had  gone  over  to  Canada,  when 
in  his  teens,  from  a  sense  of  duty  towards  the  In- 
dians, and  had  become  an  Indian  that  he  might  be 
useful  to  them."  During  her  stay  with  Robert  and 
Christine  M.  Alsop  she  gave  birth  to  a  son,  who 
was  named  Alsop  Albert  Edward. 

The  morning  on  which  they  left  Liverpool  on 
their  return  to  America,  it  was  touching  to  see 
Christine  M  Alsop,  carrying  this  little  one  in  her 
arms  on  board  the  large  steamer ;  evidently  feeling 
the  parting  from  him  as  from  a  loved  and  cherished 
object  of  her  affection.  Nahneebaweequay  lived 
only  about  three  years  after  her  return  home,  and 
died  in  great  peace.  Her  husband  still  survives. 
They  had  a  large  family,  of  whom  "Alsop  "  is  the 
youngest  but  two.  He  is  now  grown  up,  and  is 
a  young  man  of  great  promise  ;  some  of  the  money 
which  was  given  to  his  mother  having  been  used 
for  his  education,  with  the  hope  that  he  would  be- 
come what  his  mother  so  ardently  desired — a  Chris- 
tian missionary  among  his  people. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

(1859-1876.) 

Quiet  reflections ;  Death  of  her  niece,  Marie  L.  Dixon — Remi- 
niscences by  her  niece,  Louisa  M.  Dixon  (now  Pierson),  of 
her  residence  with  her  Aunt ;  and  of  her  Aunt's  association 
with  some  members  of  the  Royal  Family. 

HOW  sweet  and  full  of  profit  are  those  seasons 
when  the  humble  believer  is  permitted  to 
be  alone  with  God,  How  gladly,  amidst  the  pres- 
sure of  manifold  occupation,  does  he  avail  himself 
of  the  precious  opportunity,  not  for  indolent  musing 
or  inaction,  but  to  "  rest  in  the  Lord " ;  and  in 
waiting  upon  Him,  to  renew  his  strength. 

Such  an  opportunity  was  now  given  to  Christine 
M.  Alsop. 

First  Month,  'jfh,  1859. — For  the  last  few  days  I 
have  been  confined  to  the  house  with  indisposition 
and  have  had  much  time  for  quiet  meditation.  My 
eyes  being  affected,  I  have  not  read  much,  but  my 
whole  life  has  been  as  it  were  unrolled  before  me. 
How  varied  the  picture  !  Some  spots  deeply  marked 
by  trial ;  others  abounding  in  unmerited  favours.  What 
shades  cover  the  recollection  of  the  many  opportunities 
which  might  have  been  embraced  for  doing  good,  for 
winning  souls  to  Christ,  which  have  been,  alas !  either 
wholly  neglected ;  or,  at  best,  very  feebly  used.  As 
I  look  back  upon  my  many  mercies  and  multiplied 


154      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1859. 

opportunities,  and  recall  the  tender  and  often-repeate/i 
pleadings  of  that  loving  Saviour,  who  willeth  not  that 
any  should  perish ;  I  have  only  to  confess  that  to  me 
nothing  belongs  but  blushing  and  confusion  of  face.  I 
am  ready  to  marvel  at  the  long-suffering  mercy  of  my 
Heavenly  Father  in  preserving  me  to  this  hour;  and 
in  still  condescending  to  put  His  praise  into  my  mouth, 
and,  as  I  believe,  commissioning  me  from  time  to 
time  to  speak  unto  others  of  the  riches  of  His  grace. 
How  comforting  are  the.  words  of  Jesus,  "  Her  sins 
which  are  many  are  forgiven  her,  for  she  loved  much," 
and  He  said  to  the  woman,  "Thy  faith  hath  saved 
thee,  go  in  peace."  In  the  full  persuasion  that  the 
same  mercy  has  been  displayed  towards  me,  how  does 
my  soul  crave  that  I  may  be  replenished  with  this 
living  faith,  this  holy  love,  producing  a  readiness  to  do 
all  the  Lord's  commandments,  and  to  suffer  all  His 
will. 

For  the  last  year  home  has  been,  as  I  believe,  our 
right  allotment.  It  is  about  two  years  since  I  was 
summoned  to  attend  my  dear  niece  Marie  L.  Dixon 
on  her  death-bed.  My  husband  and  I  were  in  Paris, 
with  our  beloved  friend  E.  P.  Gurney.  I  at  once 
returned  to  England,  and  hastened  to  Whitehaven. 
But  it  was  too  late.  On  my  arrival  all  was  over.  Poor 
Marie  had  not  had  her  wish,  to  see  her  loved  aunt.  I 
felt  the  event  deeply,  as  she  was  more  like  a  daughter 
to  me  than  a  niece.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  she 
fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  The  bereaved  husband  and  three 
helpless  children  became  objects  of  my  sympathy  and 
solicitude ;  and  after  staying  a  month  with  them  it 
was  concluded  that  I  should  take  charge  of  the  eldest 


1859-]          HER   NIECE1  S  REMINISCENCES.  155 

little  girl,  my  sweet  little  Louisa ;  my  dear  husband 
kindly  agreeing  to  the  plan.  Her  father  brought  her 
to  us  in  the  Third  Month,  1857,  and  she  has  since  been 
under  our  charge.  The  step  appeared  a  right  one,  as 
the  dear  child  seemed  to  come  so  naturally  to  our  share; 
there  being  no  one  else  to  take  the  place  of  a  mother. 
At  the  same  time  it  has  been  my  earnest  desire  that  the 
care  of  this  precious  charge  may  not  in  any  way  hinder 
the  fulfilment  of  other  duties. 

This  beloved  niece  (now  by  her  marriage  Louisa 
M.  Pierson)  has  herself  given  some  account  of  her 
early  life  thus  spent  with  her  uncle  and  aunt  at 
Stoke  Newington ;  and  of  the  intercourse  which 
Christine  M.  Alsop  was,  from  time  to  time,  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  with  members  of  the  Royal  family. 
She  has  kindly  allowed  me  to  place  the  following 
extracts  at  the  disposal  of  the  reader : 

In  the  review  of  the  time  spent  with  my  aunt  I  feel 
what  a  privilege  it  has  been  to  have  lived  under  such 
an  influence.  My  mother,  Marie  Louise  Majolier,  with 
her  two  brothers,  was  left  motherless  at  an  early  age. 
She  was  educated  in  England,  and  the  house  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Alsop  in  London  became  her  home  for  some 
months  previously  to  her  marriage. 

When  my  mother  married,  her  new  home  was  in 
the  North  of  England,  in  Cumberland.  It  was  a  trial 
to  my  aunt,  who  loved  her  dearly,  that  she  was  obliged 
to  settle  so  far  away.  After  five  years  of  married  life, 
my  mother  died;  leaving  three  children,  myself  the 
eldest,  and  two  brothers.  Mrs.  Alsop  was  thus  a 
second  time  called  upon  to  act  a  mother's  part ;  and  I, 


156      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1857- 

in  turn,  received  that  tender  love  and  watchful  care 
which  had  made  my  mother's  life  so  happy.  I  was 
between  four  and  five  years  of  age  when  my  father 
took  me  to  London,  and  left  me  with  my  dear  aunt ; 
and  thenceforth,  till  I  was  of  age  to  take  charge  of  my 
father's  house,  most  of  my  life  was  spent  with  her. 
During  those  years  I  accompanied  my  uncle  and  aunt 
in  many  delightful  visits  to  their  friends  in  different 
parts  of  England,  to  which  I  can  now  trace  the  begin- 
ning of  many  a  lasting  friendship.  I  also  travelled 
with  them  when  they  went  to  France  and  Switzerland ; 
our  chief  destination  being  Congenies,  where  my 
grandfather  lived. 

Her  visits  to  her  native  village  were  always  times  of 
great  rejoicing ;  and  the  warmest  of  French  welcomes 
awaited  her,  both  there  and  also  at  Nimes,  where  she 
was  well  known.  Indeed,  wherever  she  went  she  won 
the  love  and  respect  of  all  with  whom  she  came  in 
contact. 

The  Countess  de  Selon  was  one  of  my  aunt's  dear 
friends,  whom  she  frequently  visited.  It  was  at  her 
house  that  my  aunt  became  intimate  with  Count 
Cavour,  and  acquainted  with  his  private  life  and 
family  troubles.  At  home,  the  life  of  two  earnest 
workers  like  my  uncle  and  aunt,  was  full  of  occupation, 
and  their  house  was  the  resort  of  people  of  the  most 
varied  conditions. 

One  of  my  greatest  treats,  the  full  value  of  which 
I  did  not  realize  as  a  child,  was  to  go  with  my  aunt 
to  Buckingham  Palace,  or  Windsor ;  where  she  had 
the  extreme  pleasure  of  seeing  the  young  princes 
and  princesses  from  time  to  time.  She  had  become 


1876.]  INTERCOURSE  WITH  THE  ROYAL  FAMIL  K  157 

known  to  them  in  this  way.  Madame  Rollande,  a 
great  friend  of  my  aunt,  became  French  governess  to 
the  Royal  family.  My  aunt  often  visited  her ;  and,  in 
consequence,  often  saw  the  Royal  children.  Her  sweet 
manners  won  their  love ;  and  they  very  early  gave  her 
the  name  of  "La  Bonne  Dame."  They  wrote  and 
spoke  to  her  chiefly  in  French.  It  was  natural  that 
Her  Majesty  the  Queen  should  often  hear  her  children 
speak  of  "La  chere  Bonne  Dame;"  and  that  the 
Queen  should  inquire  of  Madame  Rollande  who  the 
lady  was.  Her  Majesty  was  informed  that  Mrs.  Alsop 
had  spent  most  of  her  early  life  as  the  adopted  child 
of  William  Allen,  who  had  been  a  kind  friend  and  one 
of  the  executors  of  the  Duke  of  Kent.  The  Queen 
remembered  his  name,  and  wished  my  aunt  to  be  told 
that  Her  Majesty  was  graciously  pleased  to  allow  the 
continuance  of  intercourse  between  the  Royal  children 
and  Mrs.  Alsop. 

From  that  time  many  were  the  interesting  visits 
paid  by  my  aunt  to  Buckingham  Palace.  I  accom- 
panied her  in  most  of  them,  and  was  most  kindly 
received.  I  should  have  forgotten  many  details  had 
not  my  aunt  liked  to  tell  me  of  things  I  had  said  as  a 
child.  One  of  these  occasions  was  a  most  special 
visit,  when  the  Queen  herself  had  expressed  a  wish  to 
see  her.  Being  myself  unable  to  accompany  my  aunt, 
Mrs.  Ashby,  of  Staines,  went  with  her.  The  interview 
that  followed  was  deemed  the  most  rare  privilege. 
The  conversation  was  carried  on  in  French,  a  gracious 
courtesy  to  a  French  woman.  Incidentally  the  Queen 
expressed  her  approval  that  my  aunt  still  retained  her 
"pretty  costume,"  as  she  termed  it — /.  <?.,  that  of  the 


158      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1857- 

Friends.  These  visits  were  looked  upon  by  my  aunt  as 
involving  a  grave  responsibility — a  responsibility  which 
increased  as  the  Royal  children  grew  up.  She  accepted 
them  as  an  opportunity  given  her  by  God  of  interesting 
those  in  high  position  in  the  welfare  of  the  poor  and 
suffering.  They  indeed  always  showed  the  greatest 
sympathy  for  all  good  works ;  and  were  ever  ready  to 
give  their  support  to  efforts  made  to  promote  the  well- 
being  of  suffering  humanity. 

This  intercourse  was  much  aided  by  the  courtesy  of 
the  different  ladies  who  held  the  position  of  governess  to 
the  Royal  family;  and  between  them  and  my  dear  aunt 
the  kindly  feeling  deepened  into  lasting  friendship. 

As  time  passed  on,  and  the  Royal  marriages  took 
place,  it  was,  on  each  occasion,  a  great  pleasure  to  my 
aunt  to  give  something  of  her  own  work.  This  was 
always  accepted  with  the  kindest  acknowledgment. 
So  much  was  her  work  admired  that  she  had  the 
honour  of  knitting  a  couvre-pied  for  the  Queen.  My 
aunt  was  very  clever  with  her  fingers,  and  was  an  adept 
in  knitting,  which  she  called  her  "play-work."  Of 
her  skill  the  Crown  Princess  of  Prussia  says,  in  thanking 
her  for  some  baby  shoes:  "They  are  so  beautifully 
worked  that  the  best  knitters  here  cannot  succeed  in 
copying  them." 

In  times  of  special  joy  and  sorrow  my  aunt 
always  wrote  to  express  such  true  and  kindly  sym- 
pathy as  could  not  but  touch  a  chord  in  loving 
hearts,  such  as  theirs  are  known  to  be.  One  sad 
occasion,  which  called  for  the  deepest  sympathy,  was 
the  death  of  the  Prince  Consort;  for  whose  noble 
character  she  had  the  greatest  regard.  To  one  having 


1876.]  INTERCOURSE  WITH  THE  RO  YAL  FAMIL  Y.  159 

these  feelings  of  loyalty  the  "Life  of  the  Prince  Con- 
sort "  was  made  doubly  interesting  by  coming  as  a  gift 
from  the  Queen,  with  the  following  message,  sent 
through  Mademoiselle  Norel,  in  French:  "The  Queen 
sends  you  the  first  volume  of  the  Life  of  the  Prince 
Consort,  which  Her  Majesty  thinks  you  have  not 
perhaps  got ;  and  which  will  interest  you,  more  espe- 
cially from  the  attachment  you  have  always  felt  towards 
the  Royal  family,  by  which  Her  Majesty  has  been  much 
touched." 

The  death  of  the  beloved  Princess  Alice  was  very 
deeply  felt  by  my  dear  aunt.  She  had  received,  bat  a 
few  days  before,  "a  most  kind  letter  from  the  Princess 
herself,  through  her  secretary — the  Baroness  de  Grancy, 
— expressing  thanks  for  a  letter  relating  to  the  loss  of 
her  child,  whom  she  was  so  soon  to  follow.  With  the 
letter  came  also  a  very  sweet  photograph  of  the  Prin- 
cess. 

Mrs.  Alsop  received  many  little  gifts  from  the  Royal 
family — chiefly  photographs ;  the  most  valuable  being 
one — cabinet  size — of  the  Queen,  from  Her  Majesty 
herself,  with  her  autograph  upon  it.  Another  gift  was 
Her  Majesty's  book — "  Our  Tour  in  the  Highlands." 

At  the  time  of  my  aunt's  greatest  bereavement,  when 
she  lost  her  dear  husband,  the  heartfelt  Royal  sympathy 
was  very  precious  to  her.  The  Queen  at  once  sent  a 
message  of  condolence ;  and  of  the  kind  letters  received 
from  the  Princesses,  one  from  the  Princess  Christian  was 
full  of  the  sweetest  comfort.  The  Queen's  message, 
again  sent  through  Mademoiselle  Norel,  ran  thus: — 
"  Her  Majesty  deeply  shares  your  sorrow,  and  has 
charged  me  to  express  all  her  regrets,  and  the  hope  that 


160    MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1857- 

you  will  be  sustained  in  this  affliction  by  the  One  that 
you  and  good  Mr.  Alsop  have  always  served  with  so 
much  zeal.  The  Queen  desires  to  have  the  photographs 
of  you  both,  if  you  have  any."  On  receiving  this  mes- 
sage my  aunt,  amid  her  own  overwhelming  sorrow,  felt 
the  consideration  due  to  the  Queen,  and  asked  me  to 
fetch  her  writing  materials.  I  raised  her  in  bed,  and 
supported  her  whilst  she  wrote  a  letter  of  grateful  ac- 
knowledgment, and  enclosed  photographs  of  herself 
and  her  husband :  the  latter  I  put  in  the  envelope  for 
her. 

My  uncle's  decease  was  indeed  a  sorrow  from  which 
she  never  wholly  recovered.  Not  that  she  gave  way  to 
her  grief.  She  continued  her  work,  feeling  that  he 
would  have  it  so ;  and  to  the  end  interested  herself  in 
the  well-being  of  others.  Those  who  knew  her  best, 
however,  noted  that  her  pleasures  now  lay  in  the  future. 
I  feel  that  others  will  say  so  much  about  the  beautiful 
affection  and  qualities  which  seemed  so  well  balanced 
between  the  husband  and  wife,  that  I  should  occupy  too 
much  space  were  I  to  enlarge  on  the  subject.  My  home 
was  with  them  for  nearly  fifteen  years,  and  afterwards 
I  saw  them  for  some  part  of  each  year.  During  that 
time  their  devotion  to  each  other  was  most  touching. 
The  one  seemed  to  have  the  qualities  most  needed  by 
the  other ;  and  the  work  of  each  was  full  of  interest  to 
both.  A  more  perfect  union  in  this  life  I  cannot  im- 
agine. 

It  grieved  me  to  be  living  so  far  away  from  her  after 
her  loss ;  as  it  would  have  been  a  great  happiness  to  see 
her  oftener  in  her  time  of  loneliness.  She  was  not, 
however,  without  near  relations  to  brighten  her  days ; 


1876.]  HER  NIECE'S  REMINISCENCES.  161 

for  within  a  few  minutes'  walk  lived  her  nephew,  Edward 
Majolier,  with  his  wife  and  family,  who  were  constant  in 
their  attentions.  In  her  house  she  had  the  great  com- 
fort of  a  tried  and  trusted  attendant,  who  had  given  her 
many  years  of  devoted  service,  and  who  had  become 
additionally  endeared  to  her  from  having  nursed  my 
uncle  through  a  dangerous  illness  in  Paris. 

After  my  marriage,  I  stayed  with  my  aunt  some  time 
every  year ;  and  during  my  last  visit  in  the  early  spring 
of  1879,  my  husband  became  known  to  her.  He  is  so 
thankful  to  have  done  so.  When  we  parted  from  her, 
it  was  with  her  blessing.  He  saw  her  once  again,  just 
after  the  "Yearly  Meeting,"  little  thinking  that  it  was 
the  last  time.  I  was  not  so  fortunate.  The  great  shock 
came  upon  me  suddenly,  when  all  was  over,  and  I  could 
no  longer  see  the  aunt  I  so  dearly  loved,  and  who  had 
been  to  me  all  that  a  mother  could  be. 

But  we  are  anticipating ;  and  must,  in  the  next 
chapter,  once  more  resume  the  thread  of  the  narra- 
tive. 


CHAPTER    XV, 
(1857-1867.) 

Journey  on  the  Continent  with   John  Henry  Douglas — Distress  in 
the  East-end  of  London — Children's  Hospital. 

BUT  little  had  occurred  since  her  last  journey 
with  E.  P.  Gurney,  in  1857,  to  interrupt  the 
ordinary  current  of  Christine  M.  Alsop's  life.  En- 
gagements at  home,  where,  with  her  husband,  she 
appeared  ever  active  in  doing  good ;  with  occasional 
visits  to  their  friends  in  England,  and  in  the  South 
of  France  and  Switzerland,  fully  occupied  their  time. 
With  an  equal  horror  both  of  slavery  and  of  war, 
they  had  watched  with  mingled  emotion  the  awful 
conflict  in  the  United  States ;  and  had  rejoiced 
together  in  the  great  result — the  final  extinction  of 
American  Slavery. 

Like  other  friends  of  the  anti-slavery  cause,  they 
had  taken  a  lively  interest  in  the  mission  of  Levi 
Coffin  to  this  country,*  and  in  the  efforts  of  the 
Freedmen's  Aid  Association,  and  of  other  kindred 
societies,  on  behalf  of  the  Freedmen. 

An  interval  of  several  years  had  elapsed  since 
any  Friend  from  the  United  States  had  paid  a 
visit  to  Europe.  The  spring  of  1865  was  made 

*See  "Reminiscences  of  Levi  Coffin,"  p.  659. 
(162) 


1 866.]  JOHN  HENR  Y  DO UGLAS.  1 63 

memorable  by  the  close  of  the  civil  war,  and  the 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln.  The  hearts  of 
Friends  in  America  had  once  more  leisure  to  think 
of  their  brethren  in  the  mother  country;  and  in  the 
autumn  of  that  year,  John  Henry  Douglas,  from 
Western  Ohio,  was  liberated  by  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing of  Indiana  for  a  Gospel  Mission  to  Friends  and 
others  in  these  islands,  and  on  the  Continent. 
He  was  then  in  the  prime  of  early  manhood, 
though  in  somewhat  feeble  health ;  and  was 
accompanied  by  his  friend,  Murray  Shipley,  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  who  proved  a  truly  generous  and 
efficient  helper.  They  arrived  in  England  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year  1866,  and  after  the  attend- 
ance of  the  Yearly  Meeting  in  London,  Robert 
and  Christine  M.  Alsop  thought  it  right  to  unite 
with  them  in  their  journey  on  the  Continent  in 
the  autumn  of  that  year.  Besides  the  little  com- 
panies of  Friends,  their  labours  embraced  many 
other  places  in  the  South  of  France,  in  the  valleys 
of  Piedmont,  and  in  Switzerland  and  the  North  of 
Italy. 

The  following  are  from  Christine  M.  Alsop's  let- 
ters and  memoranda : 

(To  Mary  Sophia  Pace.} 

ZURICH,  Eighth  Month,  izth,  1866, 
First-day. 

.     .     .     Till  now  we  have  had  no  day  of  rest ;  and 
the  demands  on  my  small  stock  of  health  and  strength 


1 64     MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE   M.  ALSO  P.    [1866. 

have  seemed  almost  greater  than  could  be  supplied  ;  but 
"  hitherto  the  Lord  has  helped  us." 

At  Basle — or  rather  about  three  miles  from  Basle — 
we  called  upon  Christopher  Frederick  Spittler,  the 
venerable  founder  of  so  many  institutions  for  the  poor. 
We  found  him  in  a  small  upper  room,  with  everything 
about  him  very  homely,  but  clean  and  comfortable. 
He  is  eighty-four  years  of  age  ;  still  alive  to  everything 
that  is  good,  and  even  now  meditating  the  establish- 
ment of  a  home  for  the  education  of  coloured  mis- 
sionaries, of  whom  he  has  already  five  from  Africa  in  the 
Chrischona,  two.  miles  off,  at  the  top  of  the  hill  above 
Richen.  He  remembers,  with  much  affection,  William 
Allen,  Stephen  Grellet,  and  William  and  Josiah  Forster. 
He  told  me  that  William  Allen  gave  him  the  first  sub- 
scription he  received  for  the  Institution  for  Poor 
Children  at  Beuggen.  His  daughter  and  son  live  with 
him ;  the  latter,  Marcus  Spittler,  has  been  in  England, 
and  speaks  English  well.  He  acted  as  our  interpreter. 
We  afterwards  visited  the  Chrischona,  an  establishment 
for  training  missionaries  from  the  humbler  walks  of 
life  in  practical  labour.  There  is  a  farm  of  seventy 
acres  attached  to  it,  and  at  this  time  of  the  year  the 
inmates  are  occupied  in  agriculture.  They  also  learn 
carpentering,  shoemaking,  and  all  sorts  of  household 
work.  The  situation  of  the  house  is  very  picturesque, 
on  the  Western  edge  of  the  Black  Forest,  command- 
ing a  panoramic  view  of  great  extent  and  beauty. 
After  a  homely  repast  with  them,  the  inmates  of 
the  house  remained,  and  our  friends,  John  Henry 
Douglas  and  Murray  Shipley,  both  addressed  them  as 
they  sat  around  the  table.  We  afterwards  spent  about 


1866.]  IXSTITUTION  AT  BEUGGEN.  165 

an  hour  at  the  school  at  Beuggen.  It  is  in  an  old 
baronial  hall,  with  a  moat  and  battlements  all  around. 
Murray  Shipley  proposed  collecting  the  children  in 
the  court-yard  at  the  foot  of  the  stone  steps  at  the 
front  door.  This  was  no  sooner  said  than  done  ;  and, 
at  a  very  slight  intimation  from  the  Master,  they  all 
came  flocking  around  us ;  eager  to  listen  to  what- 
ever should  be  communicated.  The  teachers  also, 
and  students  preparing  for  teachers,  together  with  the 
female  part  of  the  household,  all  assembled.  Murray 
Shipley  spoke  a  few  words  to  the  children  in  a  very 
telling  and  interesting  manner.  John  Henry  Douglas 
followed,  addressing  the  teachers  and  other  persons 
present  on  the  blessedness  of  being  called  to  the  work 
of  the  Lord ;  and  on  the  supreme  importance  to  the 
Gospel  minister  of  "  knowing  nothing  save  Jesus 
Christ  and  Him  crucified."  All  this  in  the  dim 
twilight  of  an  autumnal  evening,  under  the  canopy 
of  Heaven  with  the  stars  coming  forth  in  their  ap- 
pointed courses  to  their  nightly  watch,  presented  a 
striking  scene. 

The  Chaplain  of  the  Institution,  Reinhardt,  is  a 
brother  of  N.  Zeller,  the  former  principal.  Seldom 
have  I  seen  a  more  heavenly  countenance.  Every  fea- 
ture seemed  to  speak  of  the  feeling  within ;  and  as  he 
took  hold  of  both  my  hands  at  parting,  he  said  in  Ger- 
man, "We  shall  probably  never  meet  again  on  earth; 
let  us  take  comfort  in  the  thought  that  we  shall  meet 
above  where  partings  are  no  more." 


166      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1866. 

VEYTRAUX,  Eighth  Month,  iqfh,  1866. 
first-day. 

We  four  have  just  had  our  little  meeting.  It  was  a 
time  of  comfort  and  refreshment  ;  in  which  prayer  was 
offered  both  for  our  little  band  and  the  many  loved 
ones,  who,  like  ourselves,  were  seeking  to  worship  God 
in  spirit.  We  are  now  at  a  quiet  boarding  house,  at  a 
considerable  height  above  the  Chateau  de  Chillon,  with 
the  peaceful  lake  of  Geneva  at  our  feet,  the  rocky  moun- 
tains of  the  Diablerets  in  front,  and  the  beautiful  Dent 
du  Midi  on  our  left;  the  latter  covered  with  snow. 
The  scene  last  evening  as  we  arrived  just  at  sunset  was 
lovely  beyond  anything  that  I  can  describe. 

Arrangements  are  made  for  two  meetings  to-day  ;  one 
in  this  house,  and  the  other  at  the  little  town  of 
Villeneuve. 


TURIN,  Eighth  Month,  zWi,  1866. 
\_Rcferring  to  the  cholera  in  London.~\ 

We  have  thought  much  of  you  all  during  this  time  of 
trial.  Sometimes  I  have  wished  that  I  could  have 
laboured  with  you  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  sufferers  ; 
though  I  feel  that  my  bodily  health  would  not  have 
allowed  of  much  personal  service;  but  glad  should  I 
be  to  encourage  others  and  hold  up  their  hands.  If, 
in  infinite  mercy,  our  concern  for  the  souls  and  bodies 
of  men  is  answered  in  even  a  few  of  those  for  whom 
we  labour;  will  not  that  be  a  full  and  all-sufficient 
reward  ?  How  condescending  is  the  mercy  of  God, 
thus  to  accept  our  poor  service  and  to  crown  it  with 
success.  He  who  knew  what  would  be  the  greatest 
enjoyment  of  the  renewed  soul,  has  thus  been  pleased 


I866.J  MILAN.  167 

to  give  His  children  work  to  do  for  Him  in  the  earth. 
May  we  thankfully  receive  it  as  a  great  privilege,  and 
labour  on,  each  in  the  sphere  allotted  us,  in  the  full  as- 
surance of  faith  that,  "the  day  will  declare  it,"  and 
that  our  labour  will  not  be  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

At  Milan  we  called  upon  G.  D.  Turin,  the  Pastor  of 
the  Vaudois  Church,  and  a  hearty,  simple  Christian. 
My  husband  and  I  met  him  at  Nice  ten  years  ago.  He 
readily  agreed  to  give  up  his  First-day  evening  meeting, 
and  to  interpret  what  might  be  said.  About  sixty 
persons  assembled,  most  of  them  converts  from  Roman- 
ism. J.  H.  Douglas  addressed  them  from  the  passage, 
"  If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creature."  Yes- 
terday evening  we  had  a  meeting  in  the  Church  of  the 
Italian  Converts,  to  which  the  attenders  of  other 
churches  were  invited.  It  proved  an  animating  and 
comforting  time. 

Their  visit  amongst  the  pastors  and  their  con- 
gregations in  the  Vaudois  Valleys  was  a  time  of 
deep  interest ;  though  they  had  often  much  anxiety 
in  consequence  of  John  Henry  Douglas's  feeble 
state  of  health.  Of  the  last  meeting  there  Christine 
M.  Alsop  writes : 

It  was  held  in  the  chapel  adjoining  the  largest 
Vaudois  Church,  and  was  attended  by  between  one 
and  two  hundred  persons.  J.  H.  Douglas  was 
so  poorly  that  it  had  seemed  doubtful  whether  he 
could  go.  He  was,  however,  able  to  be  present, 
and  was  greatly  helped ;  Auguste  Meille  beautifully 
interpreting. 


168       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.    [1866. 


Having  next  accomplished  their  service  amongst 
the  Friends  in  the  South  of  France,  Christine  M. 
Alsop  writes : 

We  left  Congenies  last  Third-day,  but  it  was  not 
till  Seventh-day  that  I  parted  with  the  last  of  my 
beloved  relatives — dear  Lydie  having  accompanied  us 
to  Annonay  and  Valence.  Dear  sister !  she  is  so 
devotedly  attached  to  me,  so  kind,  so  indefatigable, 
that  we  all  greatly  miss  her;  and  at  every  parting  I 
cannot  but  feel  that  our  next  meeting  is  more  and  more 
uncertain.  J.  H.  Douglas's  visit  has  been  a  remark- 
able one ;  and  I  feel  no  doubt  that,  under  the  Divine 
blessing,  it  will  be  productive  of  much  good.  His 
Master  has  been  near  to  help ;  and  often,  to  our  and  to 
his  astonishment,  out  of  weakness  he  has  been  made 
strong,  and  has  been  enabled  to  preach  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ,  in  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and 
with  power. 

In  the  winter  of  1866-67,  Robert  Alsop  accom- 
panied John  Henry  Douglas  throughout  his  visit 
to  Friends  in  England  and  Ireland ;  and  again  in 
the  summer  of  1867,  in  his  visit  to  Norway  and 
Sweden,  and  the  little  meetings  of  Friends  in  Ger- 
many. This  was  not  the  first  time  that  Christine 
M.  Alsop's  faith  had  been  proved  by  the  trial  of 
parting  with  her  beloved  husband.  Soon  after 
their  marriage  he  had  spent  several  weeks  in  at- 
tendance upon  his  valued  friends  John  and  Martha 
Yeardley,  in  Belgium;  and  in  1850  he  had  been 
engaged  for  a  much  longer  period,  as  the  com- 


1850.]  POETICAL  EFFUSION.  169 

panion  of  William  Forster  in  his  visit  to  Switzer- 
land and  the  North  of  Italy,  in  connection  with  the 
presentation  of  the  Address  on  Slavery  on  behalf 
of  the  Yearly  Meeting.* 

During  these  intervals  of  lengthened  separation, 
Christine  M.  Alsop  endeavoured  to  rise  above  her 
own  present  feeling  of  loneliness,  and  cheerfully 
to  lend  her  husband  to  what  she  believed  to  be 
the  Lord's  service.  Nor  was  her  self-sacrifice 
unrequited.  He  wrote  to  her  almost  daily;  his 
thoughts  occasionally  clothing  themselves  in  verse, 
to  which  the  reality  of  truth  gave  its  own  charm. 
It  is  thus  that  he  greets  her  from  Milan,  during 
his  absence  in  Italy  with  William  Forster,  in 
1850: 

TO   MY   DEAREST    C . 

More  swift  than  bird  of  swiftest  wing,  than  eagle  seen 

from  far, 
E'en  as  the  rays  of  silver  light  from  yonder  beauteous 

star; 
Such  is  the  viewless   speed  of  mind,   from  space  and 

matter  free,  f 

So,  quickly  do  my  thoughts  reach  home — my  home,  my 

love  and  thee. 
For  though  Italia  spreads  her  charms,  her  hills,  and  air 

and  sky, 
Her  mornings  fair,  and  glowing  eve  of  gold  and  purple 

dye; 

*  See  "  Memoirs  of  the  Life  of  William  Forster,"  vol.  ii.,  pp.  283- 

288. 

L 


170      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1850. 

Cities  of  fame,  and  rivers  old,  that  murmur  as  they  flow, 

And  Alpine  crags  that  tower  above  unmeasured  wastes 
of  snow; 

Bright  be  the  mimic  sculptor's  art,  and  pleasant  to  the 
eye, 

Those  graceful  forms  I  might  enjoy,  if  thou  wert  stand- 
ing by,— 

As  wrought  in  gold  and  chisell'd  stone  with  such  sur- 
passing skill, 

That  they  whose  semblances  they  bear,  seem  all  but 
breathing  still ; 

And  though  Milania's  lofty  dome,  into  the  clear  blue  sky, 

A  marble  forest  richly  rears  its  pyramids  on  high ; 

'Tis  not  the  love  of  things  like  these,  or  change  that 
bids  me  roam ; 

'Tis  duty  points  my  cheerful  path,  and  yet  I  sigh  for 
home. 

I  see  amidst  these  very  things,  which  claim  the  wonder- 
ing eye, 

That  which  in  words  admits  the  truth,  but  doth  its 
power  deny. 

I  feel  these  things  are  not  of  Him,  whose  life  He  for  us 
gave; 

They  are  not  of  His  simple  truth,  nor  of  His  power  to 
save. 

Of  oldest,  loftiest  earthly  things,  how  far  are  they  less 
high 

Than  yon  ethereal  vault  of  blue — the  ancient,  solemn 
sky; 

How  pale  before  the  altar  burns  the  sickly  taper's  ray, 

How  bright  the  light  those  walls  exclude  of  Heaven's 
free  gift  of  day. 


1850.]  POETICAL  EFFUSIOX.  171 

Just  so  the  systems  built  by  man,  the  Gospel  to  adorn, 
While    priestly    mediators    rise,    the    Saviour's    glory 

shorn, 
Till   names   of   blasphemy   are    writ   and    shamelessly 

unfurled, 
Of  many  gods  and    many   lords,    as    in    the    Pagan 

world. 
There  is  a  power  of  pride  hath  bowed  the  nations  to  her 

name, 
With  lying  wonders  mixed  with  truth,  and  arts,  and 

pomp,  and  fame ; 
And  thus  great  Babylon  hath  raised  her  mystic  throne 

on  high, 
And  they  who  would  not  bear  her  mark  have  borne 

their  doom  to  die. 
Albeit,  pure  and  holy  thoughts  His  Spirit  breathes  e'en 

there, 
And  they  who  truly  seek  His  face  may  know  "  the  house 

of  prayer." 
In  temples  made  with  human  hands  He  dwelleth  not 

again, 

Nor  can  the  higher  heaven  of  heavens  His  Majesty  con- 
tain ; 

But  in  the  humble  mind  He  bids  a  living  temple  rise, 
One  Holy  Priest,  and  only  He,  for  ever  in  the  skies, 
Whose   watchful    and    unslumbering    ear    attends  our 

feeblest  call, 
Himself  our  Sacrifice,  our  Life,  our  Light,  our  Hope, 

our  All.* 

*  Other  verses  from  Robert  Alsop's  pen  may  be  found  in  the 
Appendix  to  his  wife's  "  Tribute  "  to  his  memory. 


i?2    MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE    M.  ALSOP.     [1867. 

The  following  are  from  her  correspondence  with 
her  husband  during  his  journey  with  John  Henry 
Douglas : 

Twelfth  Month,  3O///,  1866. — I  hope  that  you  will 
both  be  encouraged  and  strengthened.  Though 
tarrying  at  home,  and  often  feeling  lonely,  I  rejoice 
to  know  that  I  have  some  interest  in  the  work  of 
faith  and  labour  of  love  in  which  you  are  engaged. 
May  the  Lord  bless  you  and  establish  the  work  of 
your  hands!  Thy  account  of  the  state  of  things  in 
our  Society  where  you  have  been  is  encouraging. 
May  we  not  hope  that  we  are  at  the  dawn  of  a 
brighter  day?  Sometimes  I  seem  to  see  it  coming; 
and  then  clouds  intervene ;  but  we  must  hope  on  and 
hope  ever.  As  long  as  we  are  endeavouring  to  do  our 
part — our  little  part — we  must  trust  to  the  all-availing 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  without  which  all  our  puny 
efforts  are  vain. 

First  Month,  ist,  1867. — The  clock  strikes  twelve,  and 
I  hear  the  firing  of  the  guns  ushering  in  the  new  year. 
To  think  that  1866  is  now  to  be  remembered  with  the 
years  that  are  past  for  ever ;  with  all  its  interests,  all  its 
trials,  all  its  shortcomings,  all  the  sins  which  have 
clung  to  us,  all  the  wonderful  events  which  have  dis- 
tinguished it,  and  also  with  all  the  mercies  which  have 
followed  us  and  for  which  we  cannot  be  sufficiently 
thankful.  O  God,  our  merciful  Father,  wilt  Thou  for- 
give us  for  the  past  for  Jesus'  sake,  and  help  us  to  love 
Thee  more,  and  to  serve  Thee  better  for  the  future.  If 
Thou  permittest  us  to  work  for  thee  a  little  longer,  grant 
the  blessing  o'f  Thy  grace,  that  we  may  do  it  with  more 


1867.]  LETTERS  TO  HER  HUSBAND.  173 

zeal,  more  willingness,  more  joy.  On  looking  back  on 
the  year  that  has  just  closed  upon  us,  there  is  much  to 
cause  blushing  and  confusion  of  face.  We  would  bring 
all  to  the  foot  of  the  cross,  and  beseech  Thee  to  forgive 
for  Jesus'  sake.  Hear,  Lord,  the  petition  of  Thy  hand- 
maid, on  behalf  of  herself  and  her  dearest  treasure  upon 
earth.  Be  with  us  now  as  we  approach  the  decline  of 
life ;  sustain  us  by  the  good  hope  through  grace  unto 
the  end  ;  and  give  us  some  work  to  do  for  that  Saviour 
who  hath  loved  us  and  given  Himself  for  us. 

They  who  walk  in  the  light  of  that  love  which 
"  thinketh  no  evil,"  will  know  how  to  understand 
and  appreciate  the  following,  as  an  illustration  of 
her  habit  of  thinking  aloud  : 

STOKE  NEWINGTON, 

Fourth  Month,  $th,  1867. 

We  who  have  been  brought  up  under  a  different 
order  of  things  are  naturally  afraid  lest  some  of  the 
gallant  barks  should  get  into  the  shallows  and  become 
entangled  in  the  weeds.  We  must  pray  that  He  whom 
we  desire  to  serve  may  order  all  things  for  His  own 
praise.  May  we  have  no  other  will  but  His,  and,  whilst 
holding  the  truth  without  wavering,  may  He  enable  us 
to  give  up  all  that  may  be  merely  the  result  of  preju- 
dice and  education,  if  it  be  not  according  to  His  truth. 
We  cannot  but  rejoice  at  the  increase  of  earnestness 
and  zeal,  if  it  be  according  to  knowledge.  Thy  report 
of  the  ministry  in  the  meetings  which  you  have  visited 
rejoices  my  heart.  Oh,  that  there  were  more  amongst 
us  truly  brought  under  the  Lord's  preparing  hand  for 
this  work.  What  a  difference  would  this  produce  in 


174       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1867. 

our  meetings  for  worship.  It  would  be  a  blessed 
change.  We  should  not,  I  think,  need  the  formal 
reading  of  the  Scriptures  in  these  meetings.  Unless 
there  be  life,  everything  of  an  outward  character  may 
become,  and  does  become,  a  form.  Still  I  do  so  feel 
the  importance  of  the  close  study  of  the  Scriptures,  as 
the  volume  graciously  designed  for  our  "  instruction  in 
righteousness,  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect  and 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works,"  that  I  am 
always  afraid  to  say  anything  like  discouraging  their 
being  read  at  any  time. 

{To  her  Husband,  returning  from  Norway. .) 

2^th  of  Seventh  Month,  1867. 

.  .  Truly  the  Lord  has  been  better  to  me  than 
all  my  fears ;  and  now  thy  letter  brings  the  glad  news 
that  I  may  hope  soon  to  have  you  here.  It  is  indeed  a 
joy  to  think  that,  if  all  be  well,  this  letter  will  meet  thee 
once  more  in  old  England. 

These  feelings  are  much  sobered  down  by  the 
thought  of  having  so  soon  to  part  from  our  loved 
"son."*  I  sometimes  think  of  this  with  real  sorrow. 
At  the  same  time  I  feel  that  we  must  not  wish  to  keep 
him  from  the  dear  ones  at  home,  if  his  work  is  done ; 
and  the  fact  of  thy  being  restored  to  me  will  make  the 
parting  easier. 

John  Henry  Douglas  returned  to  America  in 
the  autumn  of  1867  ;  and  Robert  and  Christine 
M.  Alsop  were  once  more  set  at  liberty  for  their 

*  J.  H.  Douglas — the  affectionate  designation  which  she  often 
applied  to  her  younger  Christian  brother. 


1867-70.]  MOTHERS'  MEETING.  175 

more  immediate  duties  at  home.  These  were  now 
becoming  urgent.  The  winter  of  1867-68  will  be 
long  remembered  as  a  time  of  great  distress  in  the 
East-end  of  London.  Christine  M.  Alsop  was 
well  aware  of  the  vast  importance  to  the  poor  of 
good  habits,  of  order  and  cleanliness,  of  domestic 
and  social  economy ;  and  at  once  gave  her  mind 
to  co-operate  with  others  in  a  work  already  initiated 
— the  establishment  of  a  "  sewing-class"  for  mothers 
on  the  premises  of  the  "Bedford  Institute,"  in 
Spitalfields.  This  was  afterwards  carried  on  for 
several  years  with  the  co-operation  of  the  East- 
end  Relief  Committee.  About  500  women  were 
thus  enabled  to  keep  their  families  from  starvation. 
They  came  five  days  in  the  week,  for  five  hours  a 
day,  250  at  a  time  ;  each  receiving  twopence  an 
hour.  The  whole  was  under  the  care  of  a  Com- 
mittee of  "  Friends."  The  arrangements  were  very 
simple.  The  Scriptures  were  regularly  read,  and 
an  opportunity  was  afforded  for  the  giving  of  Chris- 
tian counsel,  and  the  manifestation  of  sympathy  and 
love. 

The  influence  thus  exerted  was,  it  is  believed, 
greatly  blessed  to  many.  Some,  who  entered  the 
classes  in  a  state  of  great  ignorance  and  degrada- 
tion, became  changed  both  in  their  conduct  and 
appearance,  and  greatly  improved  in  their  work. 
Not  a  few,  who  had  never  been  in  the  habit  of  at- 
tending a  place  of  worship,  were  brought  to  the 
knowledge  of  their  Saviour,  and  to  a  desire  to  live 


176    MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1867-70. 

according  to  His  will.  The  effort  was  kept  up,  to 
the  extent  above-mentioned,  during  two  winters  and 
part  of  one  summer;  and  afterwards  for  several 
years  on  a  smaller  scale.  In  this  work  Christine 
M.  Alsop  was  an  active  assistant,  not  only  as 
Treasurer  of  the  Committee,  whilst  her  health  ad- 
mitted, but  by  personal  attendance  two  or  three 
times  a  week  at  the  sewing-class ;  seeking  in  the 
love  of  Christ  to  gather  the  poor  women  who  at- 
tended to  His  fold  of  rest. 

The  "  Children's  Hospital  "  at  the  East-end,  under 
the  care  of  "  Friends,"  was  another  favourite  object 
of  her  Christian  solicitude,  where  her  labours  were 
greatly  valued.  The  inmates  of  the  alms-houses, 
near  the  meeting-house  at  Stoke  Newington,  were 
also  often  visited.  Her  home  work  continued  un- 
remitting ;  and,  as  we  shall  see,  the  interval  that 
had  now  passed  since  her  last  Continental  journey 
had  been  fraught  with  many  valuable  lessons  for 
the  future,  which  she  had  not  been  slow  to  learn. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 
(1870—1871.) 

Labours  in  France  after  the  Franco- German  War. 

THE  breaking  out  of  the  Franco-German  war 
in  the  autumn  of  1870,  was  an  event  which 
deeply  afflicted  the  mind  of  Christine  M.  Alsop. 
Though  England  was  the  land  of  her  adoption,  she 
could  not  forget  her  native  country :  and  it  was 
with  feelings  akin  to  anguish  that  she  watched  the 
progress  of  the  awful  struggle. 

The  Society  of  Friends  were  not  behindhand  in 
the  manifestation  of  their  practical  sympathy.  Their 
representative  Committee  in  London  acted  in  a 
manner  worthy  of  its  time-honoured  name,  "  The 
Meeting  for  Sufferings."  At  its  first  monthly  ses- 
sion after  the  taking  of  Sedan,  the  subject  was 
introduced  to  the  meeting,  under  deep  feeling,  by 
our  late  dear  friend  John  Hodgkin.  His  earnest 
appeal  was  warmly  responded  to,  and  a  committee, 
under  the  name  of  the  "  War  Victims'  Committee," 
was  at  once  organized  for  the  relief  of  the  peasantry 
and  other  non-combatant  sufferers  in  France  and 
Germany.  The  appointment  involved  patient  and 
continuous  effort.*  Large  sums  of  money  were 

*  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  executive  committee  in 
London,  upon  whom  much   of  the  home-labour  necessarily  de- 


178       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.    [1870. 

collected  and  carefully  administered.  Altogether 
640  packages  of  bedding  and  clothing  were  dis- 
tributed, together  with  850  sacks  of  seed-corn. 
A  steam  plough  and  oxen  were  also  taken  over 
to  help  to  lighten  the  labour.  Many  Friends, 
amongst  whom  the  late  Thomas  Whitwell,  of 
Stockton-on-Tees,  will  be  long  remembered,  went 
over  to  Paris,  Metz,  and  other  places,  personally 
to  aid  in  this  mission  of  love.  Several  were 
attacked  by  fever  or  small-pox  at  Metz ;  one  of 
whom — Ellen  Allen,  a  niece  of  Richard  Allen^ 
of  Dublin,  who  was  himself  dangerously  ill  with 
erysipelas — ultimately  fell  a  sacrifice  to  her  zeal 
and  devotion.*  Others,  besides  members  of  the 
Society,  assisted  in  the  blessed  work ;  among  whom 
it  is  only  right  to  enumerate  the  names  of  Augusta 
Fry  (a  granddaughter  of  Elizabeth  Fry),  and  Eliza- 
beth Barclay;  the  latter  of  whom  nursed  Ellen 
Allen  throughout  her  illness,  and  saw  her  remains 
placed  in  the  coffin,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  her 

volved : — Arthur  Albright,  Joseph  Beck,  Thomas  Gates  Darton, 
Charles  Hoyland,  Eliot  Howard,  Edwin  R.  Ransome,  Edmund 
Sturge  and  John  Taylor. 

*"Out  of  twelve  of  our  number,"  writes  John  Bellows,  in  his 
interesting  pamphlet,  "  The  Track  of  the  War  around  Metz,"  "  who 
were  at  Metz  when  I  arrived,  or  who  came  while  I  was  there,  eight 
have  been  ill,  five  of  them  with  small-pox."  (p.  74.)  See  also 
"  The  Villages  around  Metz,"  by  Robert  Spence  Watson,  another 
of  the  earnest  labourers ;  and  the  thrilling  narrative  by  James  Hack 
Tuke,  entitled,  "A  Visit  to  Paris  in  the  Spring  of  1871,  on  behalf 
of  the  War  Victims'  Fund." 


1871.]  THE  "COMMUNE"    IN  PARIS.  179 

own  life.  James  Long,  also,  throughout  the  work, 
rendered  essential  service  by  his  assiduous  and 
wisely-directed  labours. 

In  the  Fifth  Month  of  1871,  occurred  the 
fearful  outbreak  of  the  "  Commune."  The  news 
that  Paris  was  in  flames  reached  London  during 
one  of  the  early  sittings  of  the  Yearly  Meeting 

of  the  Society  of  Friends ;    in    which,  as  will   be 

J  / 

remembered,  the  men  and  women  occupy  separate 

apartments  for  the  transaction  of  their  respective 
business.  Christine  M.  Alsop  was  deeply  affected. 
She  loved  the  land  of  her  birth  with  all  the  devo- 
tion of  the  French  character.  Rising  amongst 
her  sisters,  with  undisguised  emotion,  she  asked 
for  a  pause  in  the  business  of  the  Women's 
Meeting,  in  order  that  her  friends  might  unite 
with  her  in  prayer  for  her  "  poor  country." 
Very  impressive  was  the  opportunity  that  fol- 
lowed ;  and  many  fervent  petitions  ascended  to 
the  throne  of  grace  that  this  awful  calamity  might 
be  over-ruled  for  the  good  of  the  French  na- 
tion. 

Before  the  Yearly  Meeting  closed,  three  Ad- 
dresses were  prepared  and  issued.  One  of  them 
was  a  loving  letter  of  sympathy  and  warm  appeal  to 
Christians.  The  second  was  addressed  to  the  more 
educated  classes  of  the  French  people  in  general, 
and  contained  an  exposition  of  the  fundamental 
truths  of  the  Gospel,  as  the  one  remedy  which 
France  needed.  The  third  was  a  short  and  simple 


i8o       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1871. 

appeal  to  the  people  at  large,  which  might  be  dis- 
tributed, as  it  were,  broadcast.* 

*  The  following  are  the  copies  of  the  Addresses  above  referred 

tot- 
No.  I. 

FROM    THE    CHRISTIAN    SOCIETY   OF   FRIENDS,   COMMONLY   CALLED 

QUAKERS,  AT  THEIR   ANNUAL  ASSEMBLY   IN   LONDON. 
TO   ALL    IN   FRANCE  WHO   LOVE  THE   LORD  JESUS   CHRIST    IN  SIN- 
CERITY. 

DEAR  FRIENDS, — During  the  course  of  the  late  dreadful  war, 
with  all  its  attendant  calamities,  our  sympathies  for  you  have  often 
been  called  forth  ;  and  especially  have  they  been  awakened  by  the 
intelligence  reaching  us,  during  the  last  few  days,  of  the  fearful 
events  passing  in  your  capital.  But  what  must  have  been  your  dis- 
tress and  anguish  of  spirit  in  actually  witnessing  horrors,  the  report 
of  which,  even  at  our  distance  from  the  scene  of  them,  has  so  filled 
our  hearts  with  sorrow  ? 

In  view  of  these  things,  our  prayers  as  a  Church  have  been 
offered  up  for  you  that,  in  this  your  deep  affliction,  you  may  find  help 
and  comfort  in  realising  that  "  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very 
present  help  in  trouble."  Overwhelming  as  are  these  calamities,  let 
us  confidingly  trust  that,  through  the  wonder-working  power  of  the 
Most  High,  they  will  be  overruled  for  the  good  of  those  who  truly 
love  and  fear  Him.  May  the  number  of  these  be  largely  increased ! 
And  seeing  that,  "  when  the  Lord's  judgments  are  in  the  earth  "  it 
is  mercifully  designed  that  "the  inhabitants  of  the  world"  should 
"  learn  righteousness,"  we  pray  that,  even  by  these  things,  the  hearts 
of  many  may  be  turned  to  the  Lord. 

The  sad  fruits  of  man's  depravity  in  the  fall,  which  are  seen  all 
around  us,  and  which  have  been  so  fearfully  manifested  in  your 
capital,  should  lead  us  all  more  fervently  to  cherish  the  Gospel  of 
Christ  as  the  only  and  all-sufficient  remedy  for  the  sins  and  sorrows 
of  our  fallen  world.  Precious  alike  to  you  and  to  ourselves  is  that 
Gospel  in  its  wondrous  adaptation  to  the  needs  of  all.  It  is  the 
message  of  a  Father's  love,  inviting  all  to  be  reconciled  to  Him 
through  the  death  of  His  Son ;  and  assuring  us  that  where  sin 


1871.]   ADDXESSES  TO  THE  FRENCH  PEOPLE.     181 

Robert  and  Christine  M.  Alsop  offered  to  be  the 
bearers  of  these  Addresses.  The  offer  was  accepted 
by  the  Yearly  Meeting ;  and,  followed  by  the  prayers 

abounded,  grace  doth  much  more  abound.  In  a  spirit  of  Christian 
affection,  we  desire  that  your  hands  may  be  strengthened  in  labour- 
ing for  the  salvation  of  the  multitudes  around  you  who  are  still  sit- 
ting in  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death,  and  living,  as  it  were, 
without  God  in  the  world. 

In  singleness  of  love  to  the  Saviour,  and  to  those  for  whom  He 
died,  let  us  seek  to  be  animated  by  the  same  spirit  which  led  the 
apostle  to  say,  "  We  preach  not  ourselves,  but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord, 
and  ourselves  your  servants  for  Jesus'  sake  !  "  And  we  desire  to 
unite  with  you  in  the  fervent  prayer  that,  under  the  gracious  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  you  may  be  the  honoured  instruments  in  bring 
ing  many  to  repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

In  the  love  of  Christ  we  would  conclude  by  addressing  you  in  the 
words  of  the  apostle,  "  The  God  of  all  grace,  who  hath  called  us 
unto  His  eternal  glory  by  Christ  Jesus,  after  that  ye  have  suffered 
awhile,  make  you  perfect,  stablish,  strengthen,  settle  you.  To  Him 
be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen." 

No.  II. 

TO  THE  FRENCH  NATION,  AND  ESPECIALLY  TO  THE  INHABITANTS 
OF  THE  CITY  OF  PARIS,  THE  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS,  OTHERWISE 
CALLED  QUAKERS,  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN,  SEND  THESE  WORDS  OF 
BROTHERLY  GREETING. 

We  have  watched  with  deep  sympathy  the  terrible  calamities 
through  which  you  have  been  recently  passing;  and  when  the  last 
awful  catastrophe  of  your  civil  war,  with  the  burnings  and  devasta- 
tion in  Paris,  came  upon  us  as  we  were  sitting  in  our  Annual 
Assembly,  we  felt  ourselves  impelled  to  address  you,  in  order  to 
assure  you  how  deeply  we  are  penetrated  with  your  sorrow,  and 
how  impossible  it  is  for  us  to  remain  unmoved  at  the  sight  of  your 
affliction. 


182      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

of  the  Church,  they  left  London  early  in  the  Sixth 
Month,  1871,  accompanied  at  first  by  their  young 
friends,  Annie  Maria  Whiting  (now  Annie  Maria 

These  sentiments,  indeed,  we  share  with  the  great  mass  of  our 
fellow-countrymen  ;  but  there  are  two  reasons  which  make  us  feel 
them  with  peculiar  intensity — 

First,  because  the  Christian  Society  to  which  we  belong  has,  for 
more  than  two  centuries,  continually  proclaimed  the  great  doc- 
trines, as  shown  forth  in  the  New  Testament,  of  the  brotherhood 
of  mankind,  and  the  unlawfulness  of  all  war,  so  that  these  doc- 
trines have  become  part  of  the  very  fibre  of  our  own  minds ;  and, 
secondly,  because  during  the  past  six  months  our  hearts  have  been 
wrung  by  the  narratives  of  suffering  and  horror  which  have  been 
brought  back  to  us  by  the  delegates  whom  we  deputed  to  carry 
such  assistance  as  we  could  render — would  that  it  had  been  a  hun- 
dredfold more  ! — to  the  suffering  townspeople  and  peasantry  in  your 
land. 

Believing  as  we  do  that  God  governs  in  the  kingdoms  of  men, 
and  overrules  even  their  wild  and  wayward  passions  to  the  work- 
ing out  of  His  own  great  purposes  of  love,  we  are  compelled  to 
recognize  that,  not  without  His  permission  could  all  these  calami- 
ties have  come  upon  you.  Far  be  it  from  us  to  seek  to  explain 
His  unsearchable  counsels.  But  the  history  of  our  own  and 
other  lands,  teaches  us,  that  he  judges  the  nations  for  their  sins, 
and  that  if  they  forget  Him,  and  seek  to  banish  Him  from  His 
own  world,  He  recalls  Himself  to  their  thoughts  even  by  sharp 
and  terrible  afflictions,  and  that  this  must  be  done,  because  the 
knowledge  of  Him,  and  reverence  for  His  law,  is  the  vital  atmos- 
phere of  the  soul,  without  which  neither  men  nor  nations  can  truly 
live. 

But  if  the  sin  of  some  have  drawn  down  this  punishment  on 
your  unhappy  nation,  multitudes  of  comparatively  innocent  vic- 
tims have  been  involved  in  the  same  dreadful  catastrophe; 
and  to  these  our  words  of  deepest  and  tenderest  sympathy  are 
addressed.  Oh !  let  not  the  thought,  "  God  has  forgotten  us, 
God  has  cast  us  off,"  find  footing  in  your  hearts.  He  does  not 


1 87 1.]     FIRST  VISIT  TO  PARIS  AFTER  THE  WAR.   183 

Harvey)  and  Josephine  de  Broen.  Their  friend 
Edmund  Pace  also  joined  them  in  Paris,  sharing 
their  labours  at  the  outset,  and  giving  much  valu- 

Tvillingly  afflict  nor  grieve  the  children  of  men.  But  with 
unwearied  patience  He  follows  them  through  the  journey  of  life, 
using  correction  or  encouragement  as  He  sees  fit,  but  seeking 
before  and  beyond  all  other  aims  to  bring  them  back  again  to  Him- 
self. 

We  cannot  express  to  you  in  words  the  strength  of  our  conviction 
that  God  is  a  God  of  love,  and  that  He  so  loved  the  world  that  He 
gave  His  own  Son  Jesus  Christ,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. 

Many  among  us,  who  in  the  days  of  their  darkness  were  the  ser- 
vants of  sin  and  of  the  world,  and  found  that  to  be  a  weary  bondage, 
have  discovered  a  joyous  freedom  in  the  service  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  in  working  for  the  good  of  their  fellow-men  whom  He  died  to 
save. 

In  this  same  Lord  Jesus  Christ  we  find  the  true  centre  and 
meeting-point  of  the  whole  family  of  man — the  remedy  for  all 
those  discords  and  strifes  which  the  spirit  of  the  world  breeds 
among  them.  In  Him,  rich  and  poor,  master  and  servant,  citizen 
and  countryman,  learned  and  unlearned,  Frenchman  and  English- 
man, may  meet  together  and  form  one  harmonious  body  of  which 
He  is  the  Head.  This  faith  comforts  us  in  all  the  trials  and 
adversities  of  life :  when  we  stand  by  the  graves  of  those  whom  we 
have  loved  :  when  we  ourselves  are  stretched  upon  the  bed  of  pain. 
When  this  faith  is  strong  within  us,  it  brings  heaven  itself  into  our 
daily  lives  :  without  it,  man  would  be  more  to  be  pitied  than  the 
beasts  that  perish. 

Speaking  to  so  large  and  varied  an  audience,  we  know  that  we 
must  be  addressing  many  to  whom  our  words  will  seem  but  as  idle 
tales.  We  pray  that  God's  Holy  Spirit  may  lead  them  to  prove  for 
themselves  whether  they  are  not  true,  and  that  they  may  come,  taste, 
and  see  how  good  the  Lord  is. 

But  we  rejoice  in  the  knowledge  that  we  speak  to  many  others 
to  whom  these  great  facts  of  our  spiritual  life  are  as  well  known  and 


1 84      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.    [1871. 

able  help  in  making  the  needful  arrangements  for 
the  translation  and  distribution  of  the  Addresses. 
The  "  material "  aid  and  sympathy  which  had 

as  precious  as  to  ourselves.  We  pray  that  these  may  be  enabled  to 
hold  fast  the  beginning  of  their  confidence  in  Christ  steadfast  unto 
the  end. 

And  may  all  in  your  land  labour  together  in  the  fear  and  love  of 
our  Almighty  Father  at  the  rebuilding  of  a  new  and  happier  France ; 
the  corner-stone  of  her  foundation  being  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  the 
only  begotten  Son  of  God,  and  the  top-stone  bearing  the  inscription, 
"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest." 

No.  III. 

FROM  THE  CHRISTIAN    SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS,   COMMONLY  CALLED 
QUAKERS,   AT  THEIR   ANNUAL  ASSEMBLY   IN   LONDON. 

TO  THE   PEOPLE  OF    FRANCE. 

The  smoke  of  the  great  city  of  Paris  has  risen  as  a  thick  cloud  to 
heaven  in  the  sight  of  God  and  of  the  world,  and  the  calamities  that 
have  fallen  upon  it  have  made  even  your  own  countrymen  to  ex- 
claim, "  How  doth  the  city  sit  solitary,  that  was  full  of  people." 
The  love  we  have  for  you  has  made  us  mourn  for  your  desolations ; 
but  there  is  One  in  heaven  who  loves  you  much  more.  He  does 
not  willingly  afflict  the  children  of  men.  He  looks  down  and  be- 
holds your  sorrow.  He  is  moved  with  compassion  towards  man  as 
He  sees  the  low  estate  to  which  we  have  all  fallen,  and  even  in 
wrath  He  remembers  mercy.  His  Fatherly  care  is  over  all  His 
works.  He  is  no  respecter  of  persons ;  but  the  same  Lord  over  all 
is  rich  unto  all  that  call  upon  Him. 

People  of  France!  there  is  One  hope  for  you,  One  refuge  in 
the  midst  of  your  calamities.  God,  in  his  love  for  lost  man,  sent 
His  own  well-beloved  Son  into  this  world  to  ransom  the  lost 
by  the  shedding  of  His  own  blood  for  us  outside  the  gates  of 
Jerusalem.  Salvation  is  His  free  gift,  without  money  and  with- 
out price.  Jesus  tasted  death  for  every  man.  "  He  was  wounded 


1 87 1.]    FIRST  VISIT  TO  PARIS  AFTER  THE  WAR.    185 

been  given  by  the  Society  of  Friends,  during  the 
Jate  war,  to  suffering  non-combatants,  had  won 
the  hearts  of  the  French  people,  and  had  done 
much  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  reception  of  the 
Addresses. 

It  is  instructive  to  mark  how  through  a  long 
course  of  years  the  Lord  prepares  His  children 
for  those  services,  in  which  He  is  graciously 
pleased  to  permit  them  to  glorify  Him.  Such 
had  been,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  the  experience  of 
Christine  M.  Alsop.  A  native  of  France,  speaking 
the  language,  she  had  already  travelled  there  ex- 
tensively, and  had  become  intimately  acquainted 
both  with  the  country  and  with  many  persons  of 
influence.  She  never  forgot  how  much  she  owed, 
under  the  Divine  blessing,  to  the  friendship  of 
William  Allen.  Even  her  recent  engagements  at 

for  our  transgressions.  He  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities.  The 
chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  Him,  and  with  His  stripes  we 
are  healed !  " 

The  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ  is  a  Spirit  of  peace  and  of  love,  of 
gentleness  and  forgiveness ;  and  if  we  dwell  in  Him,  the  fruits 
of  His  Spirit  will  be  brought  forth  in  us.  It  is  His  Spirit  that 
shows  us  our  sins,  and  opens  our  eyes  to  behold  Jesus  as  the  sin- 
bearer.  This  Spirit  guides  into  all  truth :  it  is  the  Comforter  to 
comfort  them  that  mourn,  to  give  us  a  joy  and  peace  the  world 
can  never  give,  and  to  teach  us  patiently  to  endure  unto  the  end, 
considering  Jesus  who  endured  such  contradiction  of  sinners 
against  Himself.  May  that  Holy  Spirit  so  enlighten  your  souls  in 
this  day  of  distress  that  with  faith  you  may  turn  to  the  Lord  in 
prayer,  crying,  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner  !  "  "And  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  saved." 
M 


186     MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

the  Bedford  Institute,  during  the  destitution  at  the 
East  End  of  London,  were  not  altogether  without 
use,  as  part  of  that  training  which  had  been  so  long 
gradually  fitting  her  for  the  somewhat  new  line  of 
service  on  which  she  was  now  entering  in  Paris  and 
other  parts  of  France.  In  this  we  must  now  en- 
deavour to  follow  her. 

It  would  be  difficult  (she  writes)  to  describe  the 
condition  of  Paris  as  we  found  it.  Smoke  was  still 
issuing  from  the  ruined  buildings.  Some  of  the  streets 
which  had  been  unpaved  to  form  the  barricades,  had 
served  as  bury  ing-places  for  the  slain,  in  the  conflict 
with  the  Commune,  and  were  not  yet  paved  over ; 
and  those  parts  of  the  public  gardens  which  had  also 
become  the  receptacles  of  the  dead,  were  being  levelled 
and  sown  with  grass  seeds.  The  atmosphere  itself 
was  charged  with  heavy  effluvia ;  food  was  so  scarce, 
that  it  was  difficult  to  obtain  enough  to  eat ;  and  as 
the  horses  had  been  killed  for  food,  and  but  few  had 
yet  come  to  the  city,  we  found  it  often  necessary  to 
Walk  long  distances,  and  that  in  a  most  suffocating 
heat. 

HOTEL  BERGERON,  PARIS. 

Seventh  Month,  nth,  1871. 

We  have  now  been  here  since  the  23rd  of  last 
month.  Owing  to  the  pressure  of  engagements  I 
have  been  able  to  write  very  little ;  but  there  has  been 
already  much  to  commemorate  of  the  lovingkindness 
of  the  Lord,  and  also  much  to  remember  of  toil,  and 
of  our  want  of  faith.  First  we  called  on  a  few  of  the 
pastors  and  others  to  ascertain  whether  there  would 


1 8j i.]  AT  PARIS  AFTER  THE  WAR.  187 

be  any  impediment  to  the  circulation  of  the  three 
Addresses  of  the  Yearly  Meeting.  Guillaume  Monod 
was  very  cordial.  He  approved  of  the  addresses,  and 
at  his  suggestion  we  went  to  see  the  Pastor  Paumier, 
who  welcomed  us  warmly,  and  made  way  for  us  to 
speak  at  the  meeting,  to  be  held  at  the  Oratoire  on 
First-day  evening,  over  which  he  had  to  preside.  The 
meeting  was  attended  by  about  120.  They  were  much 
touched  with  what  was  said  respecting  the  origin  of 
the  Addresses,  and  the  feelings  which  had  brought  us 
amongst  them.  The  Pastor  read  the  Address  No.  I., 
and  expressed  very  fully  his  cordial  acceptance  of 
all  the  sentiments  contained  in  it,  desiring  us  to 
convey  to  our  friends  at  home  the  high  appreciation 
with  which  they  received  this  fraternal  salutation. 
"They  had  indeed  suffered  much,  and  those  words  of 
sympathy  and  Christian  love  were  very  acceptable  to 
them."  We  called  upon  several  other  persons  during 
the  week ;  and  arrangements  were  made  for  the  circu- 
lation of  the  addresses.  Packets  were  sent  through  the 
post  to  the  pastors  and  ministers  of  all  the  Protestant 
churches  throughout  Paris ;  and  parcels  made  up,  with 
a  proportionate  number  of  copies,  for  each  church. 
These  latter  were  all  delivered  by  hand,  to  be  distri- 
buted on  First-day  the  pth,  the  day  fixed  for  public 
prayer  and  humiliation  throughout  the  Protestant  con- 
gregations in  France.  We  have  had  many  interesting 
responses  to  these  appeals  from  the  pastors  and  others ; 
in  several  instances  asking  for  more  copies.  The  distri- 
bution was  very  faithfully  made.  In  some  cases  the 
Address  No.  I.  was  read  from  the  pulpit,  and  in  all 
they  were  commended  to  the  serious  perusal  and 


188      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1871. 

attention  of  the  recipients.  The  two  were  folded 
together,  that  those  who  received  them  might  discri- 
minate themselves  as  to  which  was  most  applicable 
to  them,  and  hand  the  other  to  some  one  else.  Besides 
this,  two  copies  were  sent  to  each  member  of  the 
Assembly,  and  two  to  M.  Thiers ;  the  latter  we  know 
were  received  and  read.  Four  copies,  with  a  litho- 
graphed letter,  were  posted  to  each  of  the  Protestant 
ministers  in  France,  including  those  of  Alsace  and 
Lorraine;  in  all  nearly  1,000  packets.  These  were  all 
folded,  banded,  directed,  and  stamped  in  this  room, 
and  were  most  of  them  sent  off  so  as  to  reach  the 
Provinces  in  time  for  the  day  of  public  prayer.  Alto- 
gether about  1,500  of  these  two  addresses  have  already 
been  put  into  circulation  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  land.  Besides  which,  many  of  No.  III. 
have  been  distributed  in  Paris.  Hitherto,  we  have 
not  attempted  any  systematic  distribution  amongst 
the  Roman  Catholics;  though  many  of  No.  II.  and 
No.  III.  have  been  given  away  by  our  active  young 
friends,  A.  M.  Whiting  and  Josephine  de  Broen  and 
others ;  and  we  now  and  then  have  requests  for  some 
from  willing  helpers. 

First-day  the  gth,  as  I  have  said,  was  the  day  of 
public  prayer.  In  the  morning  there  was  a  meeting 
for  prayer  and  exhortation,  in  which  all  the  Protestant 
communities  of  Paris  were  invited  to  unite.  We 
thought  it  right  to  go ;  and  found  it  a  very  large  and 
interesting  convocation.  The  large  "Temple"  of  the 
Oratoire  was  very  nearly  full.  The  addresses  given 
by  members  of  different  denominations,  both  pastors 
and  others,  were  very  earnest;  all  tending  to  induce 


1871.]  AT  PARIS  AFTER   THE  WAR.  189 

the  laying  aside  of  everything  likely  to  lead  to 
disunity,  and  to  encourage  them  to  cleave  to  that 
in  which  all  could  unite — the  love  of  the  Saviour 
and  His  cause ;  that  so  all  might  be  fellow-labourers 
in  that  wide  field  which  lay  before  them,  in  this 
city,  where  they  had  so  lately  seen  written  in 
characters  of  blood  the  awful  condition  of  a  nation 
where  Christ  is  forsaken,  or  suffered  to  be  unknown. 
The  prayers,  also,  were  very  fervent.  At  the  close 
we  were  invited  to  another  meeting,  at  which  a  new 
Society  was  to  be  inaugurated  (to  take  the  place  of 
the  former  one),  for  the  relief  of  the  sick  and  wounded. 
It  is  now  to  assume  the  name  of  the  "Societe  pour 
les  Victimes  de  la  Guerre."  We  made  a  point  of 
attending  it.  It  was  composed  of  ladies  and  gentle- 
men— a  small,  but  influential,  company,  presided  over 
by  one  of  the  pastors  of  the  Eglise  Libre,  M.  Bersier, 
a  very  able  man.  In  calling  the  meeting,  he  had 
made  the  arrangements  so  perfectly  that,  though 
some  of  his  proposals  were  followed  by  a  little 
discussion,  they  were  adopted  with  but  very  slight 
alteration,  and  the  different  sub-committees  were 
formed  and  officers  elected  with  very  little  difficulty; 
many  (both  ladies  and  gentlemen)  offering  their 
names.  The  object  of  the  Association  is  to  inquire 
into  the  needs  of  those  who  are  suffering  as  victims  of 
the  war. 

When  the  business  of  the  committee  was  over, 
the  President  introduced  us  as  the  delegates  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  who  had  come  hither  to  bring  them 
the  assurance  of  their  sympathy  and  Christian  love  \ 
which  was  expressed  not  only  through  the  Address,  but 


igo      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

also  by  our  making  this  personal  effort  to  show  our  in- 
terest in  their  welfare.  He  then  told  the  audience  that 
"Madame  Alsop  "  had  a  communication  to  make  to 
them  on  some  subjects  which  would  be  interesting  to 
the  company.  The  kind  consideration  with  which  this 
was  said  and  received  quite  broke  me  down.  It  was 
some  time  before  I  could  speak,  and  then  I  failed  to  say 
half  of  what  was  in  my  heart ;  but  it  was  enough  to 
touch  them,  and  at  least  to  prove  that  I  was  a  woman — 
and  a  weak  woman,  too.  I  told  them,  amongst  other 
things,  what  might  be  done  in  the  way  of  evangeli- 
zation by  actual  contact  with  those  we  wished  to 
influence.  I  mentioned  our  sewing-classes  and  the 
benefit  they  had  conferred  materially,  morally,  and 
spiritually,  and  the  good  such  work  was  likely  to  do  to 
those  who  engaged  in  it.  But,  I  added,  it  must  be  a 
missionary  work — not  secondarily,  but  primarily.  The 
President  spoke,  in  the  name  of  the  company,  in  the 
kindest  manner  of  what  had  been  expressed;  adding 
that,  though  this  was  not  the  time  to  discuss  the  sub- 
ject, he  believed  the  useful  suggestions  which  had 
been  made  would  not  be  lost.  He  also  wished  us  to 
express  to  our  Society  at  home  their  gratitude  for  this 
proof  of  their  interest  in  their  poor  country,  and  in 
their  work  for  the  good  of  those  around  them.  The 
task  was  a  great  and  important  one,  and  the  sympathy 
of  such  a  body  of  Christians  as  the  Society  of  Friends 
was  very  helpful  and  encouraging  to  them.  My  dear 
husband  had  a  little  to  say,  which  he  managed  very 
well  in  French.  At  this  meeting,  at  which  about 
seventy  were  present,  of  the  zlite  of  the  Protestants 
of  Paris,  we  became  personally  acquainted  with 


1871.]  AT  PARIS  AFTER    THE    WAR.  igi 

several  very  interesting  individuals  ;  amongst  the  rest, 
that  dear  lady  who  is  a  true  helper  in  the  Church, 
Madame  Andre,  a  fine,  intelligent  person,  who  looked 
like  a  mother  amongst  them  all,  and  was  listened  to 
with  the  greatest  respect.  We  also  met  with  Pastor 
Robin,  the  minister  of  Belleville.  He  had  written  very 
warmly  to  thank  us  for  the  Addresses,  and  we  have 
found  him  a  truly  evangelical  man  and  an  earnest 
worker. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

(1871.) 

Justine  Dalencourt — Sewing  Meeting  established  at  Boulogne-sur- 
Seine — Labours  in  France  continued. 

IT  was  at  the  time  of  the  Franco-German  war 
that  Christine  M.  Alsop  first  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Justine  Dalencourt,  who  became  her 
valued  coadjutor  during  the  last  years  of  her  labours 
in  France ;  and  who  has  ever  since  been  connected 
with  the  work  begun  by  her  in  Paris,  and  still  car- 
ried on  there  under  the  care  of  Friends.  Justine 
Dalencourt  was  born  at  Rochefort-sur-Mer.  Her 
parents  were  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  and  she  herself  was  educated  in  a  convent 
as  a  strict  "  Catholic." 

I  cannot  (she  says)  recall  the  time  when  I  did  not 
love  the  things  of  God.  When  I  was  preparing  for  my 
first  "  Communion,"  I  used  often  to  retire  alone,  to  ask 
God  rather  to  permit  me  to  die  than  to  take  it  un- 
worthily. At  the  age  of  sixteen  I  wished  to  become 
a  nun,  in  order,  as  I  then  thought,  to  live  nearer  to 
God.  My  mother  objected  on  account  of  my  youth ; 
and  the  death  of  my  brother,  Lieutenant  Bellot,  who 
was  drowned  in  one  of  the  expeditions  sent  in  search 
of  Sir  John  Franklin,  and  whom  I  had  tenderly  and 
enthusiastically  loved,  turned  my  thoughts  towards  Eng- 
land. 

(192) 


1871.]  JUSTINE  DALENCOURT.  193 

I  went  to  England  in  1858,  and  was  engaged  there  as 
a  teacher,  in  a  school  at  Highbury  New  Park,  when  I 
became  acquainted  with  Lady  Barrow.  She  was  a  dear 
child  of  the  Lord,  and  I  soon  loved  her  with  all  my 
heart. 

After  awhile,  I  removed  to  a  boarding-school  in 
Kensington,  near  her  own  dwelling,  and  frequently 
went  to  spend  the  evening  with  her.  She  used  to 
speak  to  me  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  and  of  the  saints,  whose  worship  at  that  time 
filled  my  life.  I  prayed  to  them  that  she  might  be 
brought  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  and  often  even 
wept  over  her.  She  prayed  for  me  before  the  only 
One  who  can  enlighten.  One  day  she  pressed  me  to 
read  the  Bible.  My  father  was  ill,  and  I  was  ar.xious. 
Lady  Barrow,  taking  advantage  of  the  opportunity, 
said  to  me  :  "  Suppose,  dear  Justine,  your  good  father, 
believing  that  he  was  going  to  die,  and  not  wishing  to 
leave  you  without  his  counsel,  wrote  a  letter  for  his 
children  ;  and  suppose  that  after  his  death  some  of  the 
elder  brothers  should  take  possession  of  the  letter,  and 
say  to  the  others,  '  We  will  not  let  you  read  it  all,  but 
we  will  read  you  some  extracts  ' — would  you  be  satis- 
fied?" 

I  was  indignant,  and  said  that  no  brother  could  have 
the  right  to  do  so,  because  my  father  would  assuredly 
write  so  that  we  might  all  understand  it.  "Ah  well," 
she  said,  "your  priests  do  that;  they  keep  from  you 
your  Heavenly  Father's  Letter."  I  did  not  want  to 
appear  much  concerned,  but  I  had  received  a  very 
serious  impression ;  and  during  the  rest  of  that 
evening,  which  I  spent  with  her,  I  seemed  only 


194    MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

to  hear  those  words,  "Your  Heavenly  Father's  let- 
ter." 

This  was,  as  it  were,  the  first  dawn  of  light  upon  my 
soul.  In  1860  I  became  the  wife  of  Eugene  Dalencourt ; 
but  it  was  not  till  the  year  1863  that  I  publicly  left  the 
Church  of  Rome.  "Lucile,"  by  Adolph  Monod,  was 
the  book,  next  to  the  Bible,  most  blessed  to  me.  In 
1868  my  husband  removed  to  St.  Denis,  near  Paris,  and 
soon  afterwards  we  lost  our  eldest  beloved  child,  who,  at 
the  age  of  eight  and  a-half,  was  taken  back  to  God. 
But  I  was  tenderly  sustained  by  my  "  Heavenly  Father's 
letter,"  and  I  sighed  for  the  possibility  of  teaching  those 
around  me  about  this  Divine  letter,  which  reveals  the 
love  of  the  Father  to  His  children. 

The  Franco-German  war  broke  out  in  1870,  and  I  was 
compelled  to  leave  my  home  in  great  haste,  with  my  little 
boy  Rene.  I  subsequently  came  to  England,  where  I 
became  acquainted  with  Christine  M.  Alsop,  through  my 
being/  made  the  instrument  of  sending,  for  any  one  who 
wished  it,  little  slips  of  paper,  with  my  own,  to  their 
friends  in  Paris,  during  the  time  of  the  siege.  The  re- 
membrance of  her  makes  my  tears  flow  even  now.  I 
loved  her  directly ;  her  warm  welcome,  and  her  kind- 
ness to  my  little  Rene  comforted  my  heart.  I  went  with 
her  to  some  of  the  Mothers'  Meetings  in  London,  and 
longed  that  I  could  work  in  the  same  way  in  my  own 
country.  I  also  attended  some  of  the  meetings  of 
Friends,  and  felt  quite  at  home  with  them.  Their  prin- 
ciples did  not  come  upon  me  like  a  new  thing.  They 
seemed,  if  I  may  so  say,  to  have  already  existed  in  my 
mind  in  a  kind  of  latent  state. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  I  returned  to  France ; 


1871.]  JUSTINE  DALENCOURT.  195 

and  after  we  were  settled  at  Boulogne-sur-Seine,  my 
husband,  out  of  sympathy  for  the  poor,  kindly  allowed 
me  to  receive  some  women  into  one  of  the  rooms  of 
our  own  house.  This  was  the  commencement  of  our 
Mothers'  Meetings,  the  first  of  which  was  held  on  the 
26th  of  June,  1871.  Christine  M.  Alsop  was  there,  and 
some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  ignorance  of  these  poor 
women,  from  the  fact  that  they  thought  that  it  was  she 
who  had  written  the  Bible  which  she  recommended  them 
to  read.* 

To  recur  once  more  to  Christine  M.  Alsop's  own 
journal : 

Seventh  Month,  \2th,  1871. — This  afternoon  Annie  M. 
Whiting  and  I  went  to  Boulogne-Sur-Seine  to  see  the 
women  of  the  sewing-class,  and  found  eighteen  nice  re- 
spectable women  there,  all  looking  happy  and  comfort- 
able, listening  to  the  instructions  of  Justine  Dalencourt. 
The  more  I  see  of  the  latter,  the  more  I  am  struck  with 
her  tact,  her  order,  and  her  capacity  for  the  work. 
They  have  already  finished  several  articles  of  clothing. 
The  work  is  really  first-rate,  and  all  so  clean  and  beau- 
tifully kept.  I  have  agreed  that  this  work  shall  go  on 
for  one  year. 

Seventh  Month,  $oth. — More  than  two  weeks  have 
passed  since  I  have  been  able  to  add  anything  to  this 
little  history.  An  attack  of  illness,  which  greatly  pros- 
trated me,  made  it  necessary  for  us  to  leave  Paris  on  the 
22nd,  and  to  come  to  Rouen,  where  we  stayed  a  week, 

*  Further  interesting  particulars  of  Justine  Dalencourt's  work  may 
be  found  in  Dr.  Horatius  Bonar's  recent  book,  "  The  White  Fields 
of  France,"  pp.  184-185  and  217-220. 


196      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

and  distributed  many  Addresses,  gospels,  and  other 
books  and  tracts.  We  arrived  at  Rouen  the  evening 
before  the  departure  of  the  Prussians.  One  regiment 
passed  our  hotel  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  on 
their  way  out  of  the  town,  and  on  the  same  morning  the 
French  soldiers  entered.  Almost  every  window  had  a 
tri-coloured  flag,  and  it  was  a  day  of  great  rejoicing. 
The  feeling  of  retaliation  is  very  strong  on  account  of 
the  loss  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine. 

We  paid  a  visit  to  Mrs.  Waddington,  the  widow  of  an 
English  cotton  manufacturer.  She,  with  her  daughter- 
in-law,  received  us  most  kindly,  and  entered  with  warm 
sympathy  into  the  concern  I  have  at  heart — to  en- 
deavour to  do  something  to  help  the  poor  French 
women.  The  daughter-in-law  had  begun  a  mother's 
meeting  before  the  war.  Since  then  it  has  dropped,  like 
other  things  ;  but  I  hope  she  may  take  courage  to  begin 
again.  They  live  at  a  beautiful  country  house  out  of 
the  town,  at  St.  S6ger.  The  same  evening  we  called 
on  one  of  the  pastors.  He  is  a  very  agreeable  man, 
truly  evangelical/  His  wife  is  a  daughter  of  Henri 
Monod.  Wherever  we  find  the  influence  of  a  Monod 
we  find  true  evangelical  religion.  How  happy  a  thing 
for  Protestantism  in  France  that  they  have  been  so 
large  a  family. 

We  were  advised  not  to  give  the  Addresses  to  the 
concierges  for  distribution,  for  fear  it  should  not  be 
done  well ;  so  we  went  ourselves  and  gave  many  at  the 
doors — about  900  I  think — before  we  got  home.  These 
Addresses  are  very  much  liked.  Yesterday  one  was 
given  to  a  priest  at  the  station.  He  read  it  very  atten- 
tively (it  was  No.  IIJ  and  told  me  it  was  excellent,  just 


I87I-]  HAVRE.  197 

the  thing  wanted.  "  C'est  bien,  tres-bien."  He  came 
to  ask  for  the  two  others,  as  he  had  seen  them  in  the 
hands  of  other  persons.  He  first  said,  "  C'est  une 
propagande."  I  said  "  Oui,  pour  Dieu  et  pour  Jesus 
Christ,  non  pas  pour  nous."  "Oh!  C'est  bien,  tres- 
bien  ;  "  and  he  again  said,  "  I  do  not  see  but  that  it  is 
intended  as  much  for  the  Catholics  as  for  the  Protes- 
tants." I  said,  "That  is  just  what  we  wish  to  an- 
nounce, the  Gospel  of  peace  and  joy  which  is  for  all 
people  without  exception.  There  is  but  one  God,  but 
one  Saviour,  let  us  all  love  Him  with  sincerity.  I  must 
believe  there  are  such  amongst  the  Roman  Catholics 
who  seek  to  show  the  simple  truth  of  His  salvation  to 
all  people."  The  poor  priest  looked  rather  surprised, 
but  agreed  to  what  I  said,  and  we  parted.  We  gave 
away  many  Addresses  and  some  gospels  in  the  station. 
Altogether  I  hope  our  visit  to  Rouen  will  not  be  in 
vain. 

Eighth  Month,  2nd.  Havre. — Yesterday  we  sent  off 
several  hundred  packets  of  Addresses  to  the  mayors,  and 
have  also  given  several  ourselves.  The  presentation  of 
the  Addresses  gives  a  very  good  opportunity  for  conver- 
sation, and  we  find  much  response  to  the  sentiments 
expressed.  We  have  done  so  in  this  hotel.  Yesterday 
a  gentleman  and  lady  at  the  table  d'hote,  to  whom  I 
gave  one,  came  to  me  afterwards.  The  gentleman  took 
hold  of  my  hand  and  pressed  it,  and  his  wife's  eyes 
filled  with  tears  while  she  said,  with  much  emotion, 
"  Nous  avons  bien  souffert, — merci  de  vos  paroles  de 
sympathie  Chretienne ;  nous  en  avons  bien  besoin. 
Vous  ne  voyez  le  mal  que  dans  son  ensemble,  mais  ce 
serait  impossible  d'approfondir  toutes  les  miseres  indi- 


198       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTIXE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

viduelles.  Nous  avons  bien  besoin  de  mettre  notre  con- 
fiance  en  Dieu." 

First-day,  Eighth  Month,  6th,  1871. — This  morning 
we  attended  a  meeting  at  the  American  Chapel,  held  by 
the  Evangelical  Protestants.  This  meeting  takes  place, 
when  the  service  is  held,  at  their  "  Temple,"  with  a 
rationalistic  minister  to  preach.  It  was  a  very  consider- 
able congregation,  and  the  sermon — preached  by  a 
young  pastor  named  Charles  Vernes,  whose  wife  is  a 
daughter  of  Adolph  Monod — we  could  fully  agree  with. 
"A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love 
one  another."  It  was  a  beautiful  address  and  appeared 
so  much  under  the  Divine  Anointing  that  it  did  me 
good  to  hear  it.  "  If  Christ  is  preached  I  do  therein 
rejoice."  It  has  been  edifying  and  comforting  to  know 
that  the  simple  Gospel,  with  all  the  fulness  of  blessing 
appertaining  to  it,  is  preached  in  France,  as  was  the 
case  this  morning. 

Second-day,  "jth  of  Eighth  Month. — Had  many  things 
to  arrange  this  morning  before  going  to  luncheon 
at  Madame  Dolfas'.  This  was  a  very  pleasant  visit, 
calling  forth  from  her  the  expression  of  much  sym- 
pathy. The  great  heat  of  the  weather  renders  exertion 
trying.  Madame  Dolfas  is  a  lady  of  affluence,  living 
in  a  beautiful  home,  with  splendid  garden,  green- 
houses and  hothouses,  as  in  England.  After  luncheon 
we  went  over  the  grounds:  such  a  kitchen  garden, 
and  a  profusion  of  fruit.  I  thought  of  my  little  home, 
and  longed  for  the  quiet  of  it.  Yet  I  prize  these 
opportunities,  as  they  open  the  way  for  me  to  relieve 
my  mind  of  a  little  of  the  burden  which  rests  upon 
it.  We  met  several  persons  of  this  lady's  family 


1871.]  HAVRE.  199 

whom  it  did  my  heart  good  to  become  acquainted 
with.  Amongst  others,  her  sister  and  her  son-in- 
la\v,  M.  Friedel,  a  very  interesting  man,  under  the 
weight  of  what  seemed  to  me  sanctified  sorrow.  He 
lost  his  wife  during  the  siege  of  Paris.  He  was  in 
Paris,  she  in  Alsace.  On  arriving  at  home  as  soon 
as  the  capital  was  opened,  intensely  longing  to  be 
reunited  with  those  he  loved,  he  found  that  his  wife 
had  been  buried  two  weeks ;  he  not  having  even  heard 
that  she  Jiad  been  ill !  He  is  left  with  three  sweet 
children.  We  hope  to  see  him  in  Paris,  where  he 
resides. 

In  the  afternoon  we  all  adjourned  to  Madame  du 
Pasquier's,  and  found  a  room  full  of  ladies  and  two  or 
three  gentlemen ;  amongst  them  the  young  Pastor 
Charles  Vernes.  I  proposed  the  reading  of  a  portion 
of  Scripture,  upon  which  he  kindly  read  the  fifteenth 
of  John,  and  said  a  few  words  very  feelingly  .on  the 
necessity  of  abiding  in  the  Vine  in  order  to  bear  fruit ; 
and  that  the  bearing  of  fruit  was  the  consequence  of 
being  in  Christ  and  abiding  in  Him.  He  then  offered 
a  short  and  simple  prayer.  I  had  afterwards  an  op- 
portunity of  giving  a  short  explanation  of  the  origin  of 
our  Addresses  (our  certificates  having  been  previously 
read.)  I  was  also  able  to  express  my  own  individual 
desires  for  the  promotion  of  the  Lord's  cause  in  the 
earth,  and  particularly  in  my  own  native  land.  I  urged 
upon  all  to  do  what  the  Lord  might  enable  them  for 
the  multitudes  around  them.  I  also  gave  them  an 
account  of  what  we  had  been  able  to  commence  in 
Paris  as  a  means  of  evangelization — the  sewing-class, 
and  told  them  what  we  were  wishing  to  do  on  our 


200    MEMORIALS  Of  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

return  thither.  It  was  an  interesting  time.  We  hope 
they  will  see  their  way  to  do  something  of  the  kind  in 
Havre.  But  the  work  is  great,  and  we  must  be  very 
patient.  Many  of  the  Roman  Catholics  themselves  see 
that  the  population  are  in  a  very  sad  and  ignorant  state, 
and  that  what  is  needed  to  bring  them  out  of  this  con- 
dition is  the  very  thing  which  they  are  not  allowed 
to  do, — the  reading  of  the  Scriptures.  May  there  be 
indeed  a  yielding  to  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord, 
who  assuredly  works,  to  convince  of  sin  and  to  break 
every  false  rest ;  that  so  there  may  be  a  coming  to 
Jesus  the  only  rest  of  the  soul,  and  a  learning  of 
Him, — learning  His  marvellous  teachings  through  the 
written  word  and  through  that  Spirit  who  still  takes  of 
these  teachings  of  the  Lord  and  shows  them  unto 
us. 

Third-day,  Eighth  Month,  8th. — We  were  much  en- 
gaged making  up  parcels  of  Addresses  and  other  publi- 
cations for  various  persons  whom  we  wished  to  have 
them  to  distribute  ;  when  to  our  surprise  and  great  com- 
fort, we  had  a  little  visit  from  dear  Edmund  Pace.  It 
was  delightful  to  see  him  ;  and  we  were  truly  helped  by 
his  sympathy,  and  also  by  the  messages  he  brought  us 
from  our  friends  in  England. 

We  came  to  Caen  by  the  boat.  Left  our  dear  friend 
Edmund  Pace  on  the  shore  at  Havre,  who  watched  us  as 
we  steamed  away.  We  reached  this  place  (Caen)  about 
five  o'clock ;  having  enjoyed  the  passage,  except  that  I 
felt  very  much  overdone,  almost  too  tired  to  appreciate 
the  rest. 

Yesterday  we  had  our  letters — a  rich  feast.  We  were 
much  interested  by  one  from  Madagascar.  I  had  a  very 


1871.]         PARIS— MOTHERS'  MEETINGS,  &c.  201 

long   and   sweet   communication    from   dear   Elizabeth 
Hanbury,  and  one  from  my  dear  niece,  Louisa. 

On  the  evening  of  Fifth-day  we  called  at  Pastor 
Melon's  and  saw  his  wife,  an  old  acquaintance  of  mine. 
He  was  very  cordial,  and  undertook  the  distribution  of 
the  Addresses  to  his  congregation,  and  also  to  some  of 
the  neighbouring  churches,  so  that  we  feel  the  work 
pretty  much  concluded  in  this  part  of  Normandy.  On 
Second-day  we  propose  to  go  to  Beuzeville-sur-Mer,  a 
small  Protestant  bathing  place,  where  we  expect  to  find 
some  persons  from  various  parts,  to  whom  we  wish  to 
give  the  Addresses. 

Eleventh  Month,  tfh,  1871. — We  attended  two  meet- 
ings at  the  church  at  Beuzeville,  and  paid  various 
visits.  We  all  felt  better  for  the  change,  and  re- 
turned to  Paris  with  renewed  vigour  for  the  work 
there.  Soon  after  our  arrival  we  were  joined  by 
our  friends  Henry  Hipsley,  Esther  Tuke,  and  M.  A. 
Marriage  (now  Allen).  We  laboured  together  for 
another  month  in  the  capital.  M.  A.  Marriage  and 
Henry  Hipsley,  with  Esther  Tuke,  had  several  small 
meetings,  where  they  read  the  Addresses,  and  also  the 
Scriptures,  and  distributed  the  former  very  widely. 
We  were  more  particularly  engaged  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  sewing-classes  at  La  Villette  and 
Belleville,  and  also  at  Le  Vallois  Ferret ;  visiting 
several  times  that  of  Boulogne-sur-Seine,  under  the 
care  of  Justine  Dalencourt.  We  were  comforted  in  wit- 
nessing the  remarkable  success  of  this  undertaking,  not 
only  in  the  rapid  increase  of  the  numbers,  but  also  in 
the  marked  effect  produced  by  the  care  bestowed  on 
these  poor  women,  who  were  previously  so  completely 
N 


202      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

in  ignorance  of  the  truths  of  the  Gospel.  This  part 
of  the  work  is  so  satisfactory,  that  it  repays  me  for  any 
amount  of  trouble  we  may  have  had  in  Paris.  We 
hope  for  much  also  from  the  other  centres  of  mission 
work  under  our  care,  though  they  have  not  been 
established  so  long  as  that  at  Boulogne.  It  appears 
from  the  accounts  we  have  received  from  the  different 
points,  that  there  are  now  not  less  than  200  women 
and  girls  brought  under  the  influence  of  our  devoted 
workers. 

During  this  stay  in  Paris  we  attended  several  meetings 
held  at  the  Wesley  an  chapels  at  Les  Ternes  and  Rue 
Roquepine,  and  two  also  at  the  Eglise  de  la  Rue  Saint 
Esprit  (Guillaume  Monod's).  One  large  meeting  was 
also  held  at  Cluny,  at  the  mission  establishment  of 
Madame  Andr6 ;  at  which  more  than  200  of  the  poor 
of  that  neighbourhood  were  present. 

From  Paris  they  went  forward  to  Orleans,  and 
other  important  places  in  the  Valley  of  the  Loire, 
where  the  efforts  of  the  War  Victims'  Committee 
had  caused  the  Society  of  Friends  to  be  widely 
known  and  respected.  They  arrived  at  Orleans  on 
the  1 3th  of  Eleventh  Month.  Here  an  important 
change  was  made  in  their  hitherto  somewhat 
cautious  method  of  procedure. 

It  was  at  Orleans  (writes  Christine  M.  Alsop)  that 
we  first  attempted  to  call  a  meeting  by  public  invita- 
tion ;  and  finding  how  well  it  was  attended  by  the 
Roman  Catholics  we  continued  the  plan  in  other 
places.  From  that  time  we  had  large  audiences,  to 
the  great  astonishment  of  our  Protestant  friends.  We 


1871.]  MEETING  AT  NANTES.  203 

visited  Mer  and  Tours,  where  some  of  our  party  left 
us.  We  then  went  to  Blois,  Angers,  and  Nantes.  At 
the  latter  place,  after  holding  several  meetings,  both 
in  private  houses  and  at  the  "  Temple,"  we  could  not 
persuade  the  pastors  to  call  a  larger  meeting  in  their 
"Temple"  by  general  invitation.  My  dear  husband, 
therefore,  took  the  responsibility  upon  himself,  with  a 
little  advice  as  to  the  manner  of  setting  to  work.  He 
obtained  the  use  of  a  large  hall  at  the  "Mairie,"  the 
authorities  granting  it  out  of  gratitude  for  the  material 
help  which  had  been  sent  by  Friends  through  that  port. 
They  did  all  they  could  to  fit  it  up  with  seats,  &c., 
and  notices  of  the  meeting  were  distributed  through 
the  city.  The  room  was  soon  filled  by  a  highly 
respectable  company;  the  Maire  and  his  secretary 
both  attending.  Many  stood.  But  a  somewhat  severe 
ordeal  awaited  my  dear  husband.  We  could  not  pre- 
vail upon  any  one  to  take  the  chair.  He  was,  there- 
fore, obliged  to  come  forward.  It  was  the  first  time 
that  he  had  read  the  Address  to  so  large  a  company. 
There  was  at  first  a  little  agitation  amongst  the 
people,  and  one  man  called  out  in  a  loud  voice,  asking 
whether  we  had  come  in  a  peaceable  spirit — a  spirit 
of  Liberte,  Egalite,  et  Fraternite.  To  this  my  dear 
husband  answered,  in  a  pleasant  tone,  that  he  had 
come  amongst  them  in  a  feeling  of  fraternity  and  of 
"  enteinte  cordiale"  for  which  he  was  sure  they  would 
give  him  credit  when  they  knew  that  he  had  had  the 
happiness  to  marry  a  French  wife,  who,  if  they  would 
allow  her,  would  speak  to  them  in  their  own  language. 
This  information  was  enthusiastically  received ;  and 
a  way  was  thus  opened  for  me  to  preach  the  Gospel 


204      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTIXE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

to  that  large  assembly,  taking  as  a  text  the  words, 
Liberty  Egatite,  et  Fratcniitc.  This  seemed  all  new 
to  the  audience,  who  appeared  much  impressed,  and 
after  the  meeting  a  large  distribution  of  the  Addresses 
and  portions  of  Scripture  was  made,  some  of  the 
people  helping  in  handing  them  to  others.  The 
secretary  of  the  Maire  was  very  much  interested,  and 
asked  us  to  give  him  a  Bible,  as  he  had  never  seen 
one.  As  we  had  only  copies  of  the  New  Testament 
with  us,  we  sent  him  a  Bible  afterwards,  and  received 
from  him  the  most  grateful  thanks.  Here  we  found 
that  the  Addresses  which  had  been  sent  by  post  to 
the  M-iire  had  been  received,  and  placed  among  the 
archives ! 

Meetings  such  as  these,  publicly  called,  and 
largely  attended,  were  a  somewhat  novel  experi- 
ence in  a  country  like  France,  and  required  a  great 
amount  of  faith  and  courage  in  the  "  greyheaded 
old  lady "  on  whom  the  chief  part  of  the  service 
devolved.  But  she  was  always  listened  to  with 
respectful  attention,  and  probably  many  were 
reached  in  this  way  who  could  not  have  been  in 
any  other. 

The  audiences  at  these  meetings  (writes  Christine  M. 
Alsopl  were  composed  of  both  Protestants  and  Roman 
Catholics  ;  more  especially  of  the  latter.  The  meetings 
were  usually  commenced  by  the  reading  of  a  portion 
of  Holy  Scriptures,  followed  by  that  of  one  of  the 
Addresses,  as  the  case  might  seem  to  require ;  after 
which  there  was  a  full  opportunity  of  speaking  to  the 
people  upon  the  simplicity  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus ; 


1871.]  POICTIERS.  205 

commending  the  Scriptures  as  containing  that  which  it 
is  all-important  for  such  as  profess  the  Christian  name, 
not  only  to  know,  but  to  practise.  Allusion  was  also 
frequently  made  to  some  of  our  distinguishing  views. 
Deeply  did  we  feel  the  importance  of  the  work  ;  but  in 
the  retrospect  of  the  help  mercifully  granted,  we  are 
constrained  to  say,  "It  is  the  Lord's  doing."  It  was 
touching  to  witness  the  quietness  and  attention  with 
which  we  were  listened  to,  and  the  hearty,  grateful  re- 
sponse, which  we  often  received,  and  were  requested  to 
convey  to  our  Friends  at  home. 

The  following  extracts  from  Robert  and  C.  M. 
Alsop's  letters  or  journals  will  give  some  idea  of 
their  further  labours: 

The  meeting  at  Poictiers  was  a  remarkable  one. 
There  was  then  no  Protestant  "Temple,"  and  we 
were  obliged  to  hold  it  in  a  hired  hall  in  the  market 
place.  It  was  a  formidable  assembly ;  all  men,  with 
one  or  two  exceptions.  Poictiers  being  a  city  of 
learning,  with  a  large  Jesuit  seminary,  is  the  seat  of 
superstition  and  infidelity.  A  row  of  Jesuit  priests 
occupied  the  first  bench  opposite  to  us ;  but  strength 
was  given  for  the  occasion.  We  were  aided  by  our 
venerable  friend,  Thomas  Arbousset,  of  St.  Sauvant. 
A  large  number  of  portions  of  Scripture,  with  the  Ad- 
dresses, were  distributed  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  j 
and  the  next  day,  as  we  left  the  place,  our  little  box, 
which  contained  about  five  hundred  of  these  portions, 
was  emptied  at  the  railway  sjtation  as  we  were  waiting 
for  the  train;  many  priests  looking  on,  and  some  of 
them  accepting  the  gifts. 


206      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1871. 

From  St.  Sauvant,  where  we  were  most  kindly 
entertained  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Arbousset,  we 
proceeded,  by  way  of  La  Rochelle  and  Rochcfort,  to 
Bordeaux,  where  William  Smithe  joined  us.  Thence 
we  went  forward  to  Orthez,  Bagneres,  Montauban, 
Saverdun,  Toulouse,  Cette,  Montpelier,  and  Nimes. 
At  all  these  places  large  distributions  were  made, 
and  in  most  of  them  meetings  were  held,  often 
more  than  one  in  each  place,  some  especially  for 
women. 

At  Bordeaux  we  visited  the  schools,  distributed  our 
papers,  visited  the  asylum  for  the  aged,  the  hospital, 
&c.,  and  had  a  large  meeting  in  the  Protestant  Temple. 
The  aged  pastor  and  president  of  the  Consistory  had 
given  us  no  encouragement  as  to  having  a  meeting 
so  entirely  out  of  their  usual  order.  He  thought  the 
proposition  could  not  be  at  all  entertained ;  he,  how- 
ever, attended  the  meeting,  as  well  as  the  other 
pastors,  and  at  the  conclusion  expressed  in  the 
warmest  terms  his  gratitude,  giving  us  his  blessing. 
We  had  afterwards  a  sweet  meeting  at  the  house  of  a 
Christian  friend  and  brother,  who  threw  open  his  two 
rooms  to  between  thirty  and  forty  of  the  more  serious 
members  of  the  community  at  Bordeaux ;  at  which,  as 
in  other  places,  we  had  the  opportunity  of  more  inti- 
mate communion,  and  of  mentioning  some  of  those 
encouraging  circumstances  which  have  marked  our 
progress.  Truly  it  has  been  the  Lord's  doing.  It  was 
a  sweet  meeting,  and  we  parted  from  them  in  much 
love. 

Passing  on  from  Orthez  to  Bagnieres  de  Bigorre,  in 
the  Hautes  Pyrenees,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  once 


1871.]  TOULOUSE.  207 

more  meeting  our  old  friend,  Emilien  Frossard,*  a 
most  excellent  evangelical  man,  who  is  the  means 
of  much  good  in  these  parts.  He  told  us  that  he  had 
ceased  to  preach  sermons  in  the  usual  way,  but  that 
he  addresses  the  people  as  the  matter  arises  in  his 
own  mind.  "The  older  I  grow,"  was  his  remark, 
"the  more  like  a  Friend  I  am;  I  no  longer  preach 
now,  I  speak."  From  this  place  we  had  a  tolerably 
near  view  of  the  magnificent  peaks  of  the  Pyrenees, 
now  covered  with  the  first  snow  of  winter.  We  had 
a  meeting  in  the  "Temple"  with  the  few  resident 
Protestants. 

Thence  to  Toulouse,  where  we  called  on  a  very  in- 
teresting young  man  (the  banker),  the  son  of  one  of  the 
three  eminent  Brothers  Courtois,  who  have  for  many 
years  been  prominent  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel  and 
of  general  benevolence.  He  is  now  the  only  representa- 
tive of  his  family.  We  were  very  kindly  welcomed  by 
him  as  well  as  by  the  Pastors  Laforgues,  Castel  and 
Audra.  A  meeting  in  the  "Temple"  was  readily  ac- 
corded. The  invitation,  given  in  four  of  the  public 
papers,  was  well  responded  to,  and  it  proved  a  good 
meeting.  We  had  also  a  more  private  one  at  the  house 
of  our  friend  Courtois,  which  was  a  time  of  sweet  fellow- 
ship. In  this  part  of  the  journey,  since  leaving  Poictiers, 
we  had  Ellen  Clare  Miller  (now  Pearson)  as  an  addi- 
tional companion  and  helper.  From  Toulouse  we  went 
forward  to  Saverdun,  the  great  Protestant  Industrial 
Asylum ;  where  1 20  boys  are  excellently  instructed,  with 
whom  we  had  a  meeting. 

*  See  page  37,  Chapter  IV. 


208     MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1872. 

At  Montauban,  the  Protestant  Theological  Institution 
for  these  parts  of  France,  the  students  were  not  in 
session ;  but  we  had  much  brotherly  intercourse  with 
the  Professors  Bois,  Bonifas,  Jean  Monod,  £c.,  and  a 
large  meeting  in  the  "Temple"  of  the  Faculty,  which 
proved  quite  satisfactory.  We  had  also  an  important 
small  private  meeting  at  the  house  of  Professor  Monod, 
several  of  the  other  Professors  being  present.  Thence, 
by  way  of  Cette  and  Montpelier,  to  Nimes,  where  we 
had  a  good  meeting  with  the  dear  Friends  on  First- 
day  morning;  Daniel  and  Samuel  Brun  and  others 
from  Fontanes,  J.  Vally,  J.  Benoit,  and  several  others 
from  St.  Giles,  with  our  sister  Lydie,  being  with  us. 
It  was  a  time  of  favour.  In  the  afternoon  we  had  a 
public  meeting  at  the  Maison  de  Sante ;  quite  full, 
and  a  warm  response  expressed  by  one  of  the  pastors 
present 

At  all  these  places  we  distributed  not  only  the  Ad- 
dresses of  the  Yearly  Meeting  and  Scripture  portions, 
but  also  many  tracts,  several  thousands  of  that  on  "War 
and  Christianity,"  and  a  very  large  quantity — I  was 
going  to  say  hundredweights — of  the  French  illustrated 
papers,  involving  much  hard  labour.  About  70,000  of 
the  Addresses  were  distributed,  and  more  than  10,000 
Scripture  portions. 

Christine  M.  Alsop  and  her  husband  returned 
home  in  the  First  Month,  1872;  resuming  their 
labours  in  the  spring,  this  time  more  particularly  in 
the  South-West  of  France.  M.  A.  Marriage  (now 
Allen)  and  Martha  Braithwaite,  Jun.,  were  their 
helpers  in  this  journey.  They  spent  some  time 


1872.]       MOTHERS*  MEETING— MARSEILLES.         209 

both  at  Lyons  and  Marseilles,  and  in  the  latter 
city  were  enabled  to  establish  a  sewing-class  for 
mothers;  which,  with  some  other  Christian  work,  is 
still  carried  on  under  the  care  of  Christine  M. 
Alsop's  widowed  niece,  Lea  Trial.  The  work  in 
this  important  city  was  an  object  which,  to  the  end 
of  her  life,  continued  to  be  very  near  the  heart  of 
Christine  M.  Alsop. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Brief  reflections  on  her  labours  in  France — Her  life  at  Home — 
Her  husband's  alarming  illness — Last  Journey  on  the  Con- 
tinent of  Europe. 

/CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP  had  been  now,  with 
^^  but  little  interruption,  labouring  for  nearly 
three  years  in  France ;  and  in  that  period  had 
visited  most  of  the  important  cities  and  districts 
in  that  great  country.  It  was  the  crowning  service 
of  her  life,  for  which  she  had  been  so  long  prepar- 
ing ;  and  the  accomplishment  of  which,  so  far  as 
she  was  permitted  to  accomplish  it,  was  to  her  a 
cause  of  thankful  rejoicing. 

Our  beloved  friend  had  often  felt  called  to  urge 
the  claims  of  the  Roman  Catholic  population 
upon  those  who  were  so  much  more  favoured 
in  the  possession  of  Gospel  truth.  Many  must 
remember  how  earnest  were  her  pleadings  with 
members  of  the  various  Protestant  Churches  to 
yield  themselves  freely  to  the  call  of  their  Lord 
for  this  blessed  service.  She  assuredly  believed 
that  He  would  direct  and  open  the  way  for  the 
willing-hearted  to  go  forth  and  evangelize  in 
districts  where  the  name  and  principles  of  Pro- 
testantism were  alike  unknown.  Greatly  as  she 
loved  and  honoured  many  of  her  Protestant 

(210) 


1872.]      FRANCE  READY  FOR  THE  GOSPEL.          211 

brethren  and  sisters  in  France,  she  had  observed, 
not  without  serious  apprehension,  almost  amount- 
ing to  foreboding,  to  how  great  an  extent  the  ter- 
rible persecutions  through  which  the  Reformed 
Churches  of  France  had  passed  during  the  seven- 
teenth and  eighteenth  centuries  had  seemed,  in 
many  places,  almost  to  have  crushed  out  the  evan- 
gelising spirit ;  and  how  many  under  the  name  of 
Protestants  appeared  to  have  settled  down  with  the 
idea  that  their  peace  and  freedom  were  only  to  be 
secured  by  keeping  in  the  shade,  and  carefully  ab- 
staining from  everything  which  might  seem  like 
propagandism,  or  which  might  in  any  way  tend  to 
draw  on  them  the  resentment  and  suspicion  of  their 
Roman  Catholic  neighbours. 

She  well  knew  that  a  light  hidden  thus  carefully 
under  a  bushel  was  in  danger  of  becoming  extin- 
guished. She  clearly  saw  that  the  Cathol.cism  of  a 
great  portion  of  the  French  people  was  merely 
nominal  and  traditional ;  and  that  the  proclamation 
of  the  simple  Gospel  message  would  be  received 
with  joy  by  thousands  of  hungering  souls.  The 
wonderful  success  of  the  labours  of  Robert  McAll, 
amongst  the  working  men  of  Paris  and  Lyons  ;* 
and  the  blessing  that  has  attended  similar  missions 
in  other  places,  and  the  evangelising  tours  of  pastors 
and  laymen  organized  by  the  Mission  Interieure, 


*  See  "The  White  Fields  of  France,"  by  Dr.  Horatius  Bonar,  al- 
ready referred  to.     London:  Nisbet  £  Co.,  21  Berneis  Street. 


212     MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1872. 

have  proved  during  the  last  few  years  the  truth  of 
her  views.  It  may  not  be  permitted  to  us  to  trace 
the  effect  of  the  seed  sown  by  her  amidst  the  abun- 
dant harvest  which  is  still  being  reaped;  but  the 
fact  remains  that  she  was  one  of  the  early  and  most 
faithful  sowers  in  that  harvest-field,  where,  during 
the  last  years  of  her  life,  she  so  often  rejoiced  that 
others  were  gathering  in  the  sheaves. 

In  a  life  so  devoted  to  the  interests  of  others  as 
was  that  of  Christine  M.  Alsop,  the  less  exciting 
concerns  of  every-day  duty  are  sometimes  apt  to  be 
overlooked.  But  trained  as  she  had  been  in  the 
school  of  the  best  of  Masters,  she  had  been  taught 
that  in  Christianity,  no  less  than  in  mathematics, 
the  greater  must  necessarily  include  the  less ;  and 
that  it  is  only  a  mistaken  judgment,  fraught  with 
serious  danger,  that  would  allow  the  pressure  of 
extraordinary  engagements  to  interfere  with  the 
discharge  of  ordinary  duty,  however  simple  or  un- 
pretending. Amidst  her  many  occupations,  Chris- 
tine M.  Alsop  was  an  example  of  diligence  in  the 
attendance  of  her  religious  meetings ;  both  on  the 
First-day  of  the  week,  and  at  other  times.  She  was 
loving  and  watchful  in  the  exercise  of  her  gift  as  a 
Minister  of  the  Gospel ;  and  her  public  approaches 
to  the  throne  of  grace  were  often  attended  with  pe- 
culiar unction  and  acceptance. 

Ever  the  ready  and  sympathising  friend,  her 
quick  discernment  of  the  character  and  feelings  of 
Others,  proved  of  admirable  service  in  her  visits  to 


1874.]  ROBERT  W.  DOUGLAS.  213 

those  under  trial  and  suffering;  many  of  which 
were  occasions  long  to  be  remembered  by  those 
who  received  them. 

Well  did  she  know,  not  only  how  to  "  rejoice 
with  those  who  do  rejoice,"  but  also  to  "  weep  with 
those  who  weep."  As  life  advanced,  it  became 
more  and  more  her  habitual  desire  to  be  found 
daily  exemplifying  the  language  of  the  Apostle, 
"  Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  God  and  the 
Father  is  this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in 
their  affliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from 
the  world  "  (James  i.  27).  Her  cheerful  disposition 
made  her  a  pleasant  companion  to  the  young. 
Few  indeed  were  they,  who  did  not  enjoy  and 
highly  value  her  company ;  and  how  many  can 
now  recur  with  grateful  delight  to  the  hours  passed 
under  her  roof,  or  to  opportunities  when  they  were 
privileged  to  have  her  as  a  visitor  in  their  own 
homes. 

Inviting  as  a  period  of  repose  might  have  seemed 
after  their  late  extended  labours  in  France,  yet, 
faithful  to  their  ministry  as  servants  of  the  Church, 
they  thought  it  right  to  accompany  their  friend 
Robert  Walker  Douglas  in  his  visit  to  some  parts 
of  the  Continent,  in  1874.  He  was  a  brother  of 
John  Henry  Douglas,  whose  name  has  already  been 
before  the  reader,  and  was  then  in  Europe,  as  an  ac- 
credited minister  of  the  Gospel  from  Indiana  Yearly 
Meeting.  After  having  seen  the  little  companies  of 
Friends  in  the  South  of  France,  Robert  Alsop  went 


214      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1875. 

forward  with  him  into  Germany,  whilst  his  wife  pro- 
ceeded to  Paris.  During  his  absence  in  Germany, 
Robert  Alsop  became  alarmingly  ill.  It  was  his 
first  serious  illness,  and  at  his  age,  now  upwards  of 
seventy,  naturally  occasioned  great  anxiety.  He 
was  removed  to  Paris  in  a  dangerous  state,  where 
he  remained  for  some  time.  He  afterwards  pro- 
ceeded by  slow  stages,  as  his  strength  permitted,  to 
the  South  of  France  and  North  Italy,  until  his 
health  was  sufficiently  restored  to  allow  of  their 
return  to  England. 

The  circumstances  in  which  we  were  placed  (writes 
C.  M.  Alsop)  were  extremely  trying,  but  not  a  com- 
plaint or  murmur  ever  escaped  him ;  he  was  calm  and 
quiet  throughout.  I  am  glad  of  the  opportunity  of 
acknowledging  the  loving  kindness  of  our  Lord,  who 
condescended  to  be  near  to  us  by  His  immediate  com* 
forting  and  upholding  presence,  and  also  by  permitting 
that  we  should  have  the  help  and  sympathy  of  many 
dear  Friends  in  Paris,  and  especially  the  invaluable 
assistance  of  our  friends  Henry  and  Elizabeth 
Newman,  who  were  our  travelling  companions,  to- 
wards whom  I  have  a  debt  of  gratitude  such  as  I 
cannot  express.  We  had  also  the  advantage  of  a 
most  kind  physician  in  Doctor  Morice,  whose  wife 
is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Adolphe  Monod.  Our  kind 
attendant,  Myra,  was  also  unremitting  in  her  atten- 
tions. 

It  was  in  the  autumn  of  1875,  that  our  beloved 
friend,  now  in  her  seventy-first  year,  paid  her 


1875.]      LAST  JOURNE  Y  ON  THE  CONTINENT.        215 

last  visit  to  the  Continent  of  Europe.  She  had  for 
some  time  past  felt  drawn,  in  the  love  of  the  Gospel, 
to  visit  some  places  in  France  and  Italy ;  and  on 
rinding  that  my  dear  husband  and  myself  had  a 
similar  prospect,  she  and  her  husband  kindly  con- 
sented to  accompany  us,  though  scarcely  willing  to 
acknowledge  their  own  share  in  the  service. 

It  was  a  journey  (she  writes,  in  the  Memoir  of  her 
husband,)  of  intense  interest.  He  enjoyed  it  much, 
and  was  of  essential  service  to  our  dear  friends.  It  oc- 
cupied many  weeks,  and  involved  much  fatigue ;  but  it 
was  a  great  satisfaction  to  him  to  visit  his  friends  in  the 
Vaudois  Valleys,  now  for  the  third  time  ;  and  those  who 
remained  there,  whom  we  had  known  before,  were 
much  pleased  to  see  him. 

These  last  remarks  apply  equally  to  both  our 
beloved  friends.  They  were  true  and  efficient 
helpers  in  every  sense  of  the  words.  Our  hearts 
were  closely  united  in  the  love  of  Christ;  and 
they  were  enabled  to  accomplish  this,  their  last 
service  abroad,  to  their  own  comfort,  and  to  the 
comfort  and  edification  of  those  amongst  whom 
they  laboured. 

It  was  on  the  3<Dth  of  the  Eighth  Month,  1875, 
that  our  little  party  left  London  for  Paris;  our 
daughter  Anna  being  also  with  us,  with  a  view  to 
the  personal  comfort  of  Christine  M.  A.lsop. 

We  left  Paris  (writes  Christine  M.  Alsop  in  her  jour- 
nal) on  the  ist  of  Ninth  Month  for  Tonnerre,  where 


216       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1875. 

a  good  meeting  was  held,  attended  by  not  less  than  200 
— all  "  ouvriers  "  and  their  families,  and  all  come  out 
from  Popery.  It  was  a  serious,  earnest  congregation. 
Ten  men  had  walked  from  the  country  five  kilometres 
to  attend  the  meeting,  and  were  going  back  after- 
wards. J.  B.  Braithwaite  joined  us  at  Basle.  The  next 
morning  we  visited  the  Institution  at  the  Chrischona, 
and  had  a  meeting  in  the  chapel  with  the  students ;  about 
sixty  present.  J.  B.  Braithwaite's  address  was  inter- 
preted into  German  by  the  superintendent,  and  seemed 
to  find  entrance  into  the  hearts  of  those  addressed. 
Martha  Braithwaite  and  myself  said  a  few  words ;  and 
the  superintendent,  C.  Henry  Rappard,  prayed  very 
sweetly.  His  wife,  Dora  Rappard,  is  a  daughter  of 
Bishop  Gobat.  An  interesting  meeting  was  also  held 
that  afternoon  with  the  students  (about  eighty  in  num- 
ber) at  the  Basle  Institute.  Proceeding  by  way  of 
Zurich  to  Lausanne,  we  met  at  the  latter  place  a  con- 
siderable company  of  serious  people,  who  were  strik- 
ingly addressed  by  J.  B.  Braithwaite.  Christ,  the  living 
Saviour,  requires  a  living  Church ;  and  in  order  to 
have  a  living  Church,  there  must  be  living  members. 
This  is  the  subject  which  is  uppermost  in  his  heart,  in 
connection  with  an  unfaltering  faith  in  the  necessity  of 
an  Atonement  for  sin  ;  and  that  this  Atonement  is  only 
possible  through  the  sacrifice  of  One,  who  was  God 
and  man — man  to  suffer,  God  to  save — who  now  ever 
liveth  to  give  and  to  sustain  this  life  in  His  people.  I 
interpreted  for  him. 

On  the  6th  we  left  for  Geneva ;  thence  to  Aix-les- 
Bains  and  Chambery.  At  the  latter  place  about  twenty 
serious  persons  met  us  in  the  little  chapel.  It  was,  I 


X875-]  VAUDOIS    VALLEYS.  217 


believe,  the  first  meeting  held  by  Friends  in  this  dark 
country  of  Savoy. 

From  Chambery  we  proceeded  to  Turin  on  Sixth- 
day,  the  loth,  passing  through  the  famous  Mont  Cenis 
Tunnel.  We  were  half-an-hour  in  the  tunnel.  It 
seems  well  ventilated ;  and,  with  the  help  of  lamps, 
we  did  not  feel  that  oppression  and  total  darkness 
which  I  expected.  After  we  leave  Modane,  the  road 
winds  up  the  mountains  to  a  considerable  height,  as 
we  saw  by  watching  a  train  that  was  slowly  ascending 
the  slope.  How  powerful  and  how  powerless  is  man  ! 
What  a  contrast  from  the  first  time  I  crossed  the 
Mont  Cenis,  when  we  slept  two  nights  on  the  road, 
and  laboured  up  the  slopes  eight  or  ten  hours.  At 
Turin  we  visited  the  Schools  and  the  Bible  Depot, 
going  forward  to  La  Tour  on  the  nth.  A  meeting 
was  arranged  for  First-day  in  the  old  "Temple"  at 
Chabas,  a  mile  from  La  Tour.  They  also  gave  up 
their  evening  service  in  the  large  "Temple"  to  our 
men  Friends.  We  had  satisfaction  in  taking  a  little 
part  in  the  interesting  meeting  at  Chabas.  It  was  a 
large  gathering.  The  "  Temple  "  is  quite  in  the  coun- 
try, on  a  beautiful  slope ;  several  of  the  ministers  and 
professors  from  La  Tour,  with  their  families,  were 
present.  J.  B.  Braithwaite  unfolded  the  glorious  plan 
of  salvation — the  work. of  redeeming  love — in  a  striking 
manner,  bringing  powerfully  into  view  the  doctrine  of 
the  Atonement,  wherein  God  has  been  pleased  to  reveal 
Himself  as  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him  who  believeth 
in  Jesus ;  and  then  the  no  less  precious  truth  that  since 
while  we  were  yet  enemies  God  had  reconciled  us 
unto  Himself  by  the  death  of  His  Son,  how  much 
O 


218      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.    [1875, 

more,  being  reconciled,  we  should  be  saved  by  His  life 
— the  life  of  a  living  Saviour,  who  must  have  a  living 
people;  those  who  are  to  be  the  light  of  the  world, 
and  who,  from  Him  the  Fountain  of  Light,  have  light 
in  their  dwellings.  Thus  would  they  whom  he  was  ad- 
dressing, become  indeed  the  true  "Israel  of  the  Alps." 
Our  friend,  J.  D.  Charbonnier,  the  Moderator,  feel- 
ingly expressed  his  sense  of  gratitude,  and  that  of  the 
congregation,  for  the  visit,  and  afterwards  prayed  very 
beautifully  for  us.  The  meeting  in  the  evening  was 
equally  satisfactory.  We  were  afterwards  at  Bobby  and 
Villars. 

Here  Christine  M.  Alsop's  narrative  somewhat 
abruptly  breaks  off.  It  may  be  sufficient  to  add 
that  our  little  party  visited  most  of  the  Vaudois 
churches  in  the  Valleys,  and  in  Italy,  as  far  as 
Rome;  besides  some  of  the  other  Protestant 
communities,  and  the  depots  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society.  An  open  door  was  every- 
where set  before  us,  and  our  cordial  reception  at 
Turin,  Milan,  Florence,  and  Rome  will  be  long 
remembered.  It  was  Christine  M.  Alsop's  first 
and  only  visit  to  the  two  latter  cities.  At  her  age, 
and  with  her  comparatively  enfeebled  health,  it 
was  instructive  to  mark  the  unabated  and  almost 
youthful  ardour  with  which  she  was  enabled  to 
enter  into  the  various  objects  which  engaged  our 
attention  as  we  passed  on  from  place  to  place. 
The  hearty  welcome  with  which  she  was  every- 
where greeted  proved  how  widely  she  was  known, 


1875.]  RETURN  HOME.  219 

and  how  much  she  was  esteemed  and  loved  by  the 
evangelical  Protestants  in  France  and  Italy.  She 
threw  herself  into  their  varied  work,  with  almost  as 
much  of  interest  as  though  it  had  been  the  sole 
object  of  her  life. 

At  Marseilles  we  had  the  satisfaction,  in  which 
Christine  M.  Alsop  especially  shared,  of  witnessing 
the  success  attending  the  work  of  her  niece  Lea 
Trial  in  that  important  city.  Our  visit  to  Con- 
genies  and  Nimes  was  one  of  deep  and  touching 
interest ;  proving,  as  it  afterwards  did,  to  be  her 
last  farewell  to  the  scenes  and  friends  of  her  earlier 
days.  At  Nimes,  as  we  took  our  departure  for  the 
railway,  the  parting  between  her  and  her  two  sisters, 
Fanny  Benezet  and  Lydie  Majolier — the  elder  of 
whom,  then  nearly  eighty-six,  she  never  saw  again 
— was  very  affecting. 

On  our  return  we  spent  more  than  a  week  in 
Paris,  enjoying  much  valuable  intercourse  with 
our  Christian  friends  in  that  city ;  and  holding 
meetings  and  visiting  the  work  under  the  care  of 
Friends.  We  reached  London  on  the  nth  of  the 
Eleventh  Month,  under  a  sense  of  deep  thankful- 
ness for  the  help  and  guidance  graciously  granted, 
and  for  the  Lord's  preserving  care. 

How  calm  and  peaceful  was  that  happy  home 
to  which  Robert  and  Christine  M.  Alsop  now  re- 
turned for  the  last  time.  They  had  been  married 
for  nearly  thirty  years.  Theirs  had  been  a  union 
hallowed  by  the  love  of  Christ.  With  one  heart 


220   MEMORIALS   OF  CHRISTINE    M.  ALSOP.     [1875. 

and  with  one  mind  their  diversified  gifts  had  been 
remarkably  blended  in  the  joy  of  a  peculiarly 
varied  and  extended  service  for  the  spreading 
of  the  Redeemer's  Kingdom.  But  the  end  was 
hastening  on.  It  was  nearer  than,  perhaps,  they 
were  aware. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Decease  of  Robert  Alsop — Letters  and  Journal — Illness  and 
Death. 

BRIEF  was  the  interval  of  two  months  between 
Christine  M.  Alsop's  return  home  and  the 
decease  of  her  beloved  husband,  on  the  nth  of 
First  Month,  1876.  The  summons  was  sudden 
and  unlooked-for,  but  her  consolation  was  that  he 
was  "  ready."  They  had  together  attended  the 
"  Quarterly  Meeting "  of  Friends  at  Devonshire 
House  but  a  few  days  previously,  and  had  taken 
part  in  the  simple  account  then  given  of  some  of 
the  details  of  their  late  journey.  There  had  been 
no  premonitory  symptoms  of  illness. 

On  the  very  morning  of  the  day  on  which  he 
died,  Robert  Alsop,  with  his  wonted  thoughtful 
sympathy  for  others,  had  accompanied  his  wife  in 
several  calls  on  aged  and  invalid  friends,  one  of 
them  thought  to  be  near  her  end.  They  had  spent 
the  evening  together  at  their  own  peaceful  fireside ; 
the  conversation  turning  upon  their  abounding 
mercies,  and  on  some  contemplated  arrangements 
for  relieving  the  necessities  of  their  poorer  neigh- 
bours. Robert  Alsop  made  no  complaint  of  in- 
disposition, and  there  was  nothing  to  indicate  the 
approaching  end.  As  he  was  about  to  enter  upon 

(221) 


222      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M,  ALSOP.    [1876. 

the  evening  family  reading  of  Holy  Scripture  (in 
which  the  ninth  chapter  of  the  Acts,  on  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Apostle  Paul,  occurred  in  usual  course), 
he  said,  "  I  am  now  going  to  read  to  you  of  a 
most  remarkable  change ; "  little  thinking  that  his 
own  great  change  was  so  near.  He  retired  to  rest, 
apparently  in  usual  health.  His  wife  soon  per- 
ceived a  difficulty  in  his  breathing.  She  was  with 
him  alone;  and,  after  calling  for  help,  exclaimed, 
"Oh,  Robert,  Robert,  speak  to  me!"  He  turned 
to  her  with  a  loving  look,  and  then,  closing  his  eyes, 
before  help  could  be  obtained,  the  spirit  had  quitted 
its  earthly  tabernacle. 

"  The  summons  came  ;  the  accepted  hour  was  given  ; 
His  sainted  spirit  smiled,  and  sprang  to  Heaven." 

The  event  was  a  great  shock  to  Christine  M. 
Alsop;  but  the  Lord  was  her  stay.  From  the 
Queen*  downwards  assurances  of  sympathy  were 
poured  in.  For  these  she  felt  deeply  grateful ;  and 
it  was  her  earnest  desire  not  to  sit  down  and 
selfishly  brood  over  her  own  sorrow,  but  diligently 
and  faithfully  to  accomplish  the  portion  yet  remain- 
ing of  her  earthly  course. 

From  the  house  of  her  nephew,  Edward  Majolier, 
she  writes,  a  few  days  after  the  funeral,  to  a  widowed 
sister-in-law : 

*  See  extracts  from  letters  at  the  end  of  C.  M.  Alsop's  Memoir 
of  her  husband. 


1876.]  WIDOWHOOD.  223 

HIGHBURY  NEW  PARK, 

First  Month,  z^th,  1876. 

I  am  a  wonder  to  -myself.  Here,  surrounded  by 
the  kindest  attentions,  I  am  not  so  far  out  of  the  way 
as  not  to  see  some  of  my  friends.  But  I  need  not  tell 
thee  that  with  all  the  alleviations,  on  which  I  would 
gratefully  dwell,  the  great  fact  remains — I  am  a  widow ; 
and  those  who  know  what  that  is,  can  feel  for  me. 
Few  have  had  so  much  to  lose.  He  was  so  patient, 
so  kind,  so  loving,  so  untiring  a  helper  and  com- 
panion ;  I  cannot  always  refrain  from  the  most  heart- 
felt sorrow  when  I  think  of  myself.  This  I  am  wont 
to  do  at  times,  although  at  others  I  can  rejoice  in 
his  joy.  He  is  now  out  of  the  reach  of  all  sorrow  and 
pain,  and  of  the  evil  which  grieved  him.  Yet  his  life 
was  not  a  sad  one.  He  looked  upon  everything 
through  the  bright  medium  of  his  own  happy  spirit, 
and,  clothed  with  that  charity  which  "  thinketh  no 
evil,"  he  saw  light  and  brightness  in  a  way  that  made 
him  happy  in  hope,  the  hope  of  the  trustful  Christian 
believer;  but  my  dear  sister  I  need  not  enlarge.  The 
quieting  sustaining  help  of  our  dear  Lord  is  not  with- 
held. 

From  her  Journal : 

Second  Month,  \oth,  1876. — I  am  indeed  a  WIDOW. 
After  a  union  of  uncommon  happiness — of  uninter- 
rupted oneness  of  heart — both  in  service  and  enjoy- 
ment for  twenty-nine  years,  it  has  pleased  our  Heavenly 
Father  to  sever  the  outward  bond  which  united  us. 
One  is  taken  and  the  other  left — :taken  without  the 
pains  of  death,  without  the  pang  of  separation ;  trans- 


224      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1876. 

lated  as  in  a  moment  from  his  faithful,  lowly,  but 
joyous  service  on  earth  to  the  higher  and  holier 
service  in  heaven.  I  am  left — oh  !  how  sorrowful ! 
ho\v  touchingly  bereft ! — yet  at  times  enabled  to  hope 
in  that  mercy  which  has  been  permitted  to  follow  me 
from  early  life,  and  which  has  forgiven  me  so  much 
that  indeed  I  ought  to  love  much.  On  the  nth  of  last 
month,  at  about  a  quarter  past  eleven,  my  beloved  one 
was  taken  from  me.  After  retiring  to"~rest  at  my  side, 
and  giving  me  the  parting  kiss,  he  breathed  his  last, 
with  scarcely  a  struggle ;  and  his  pure,  humble,  rejoicing 
spirit  entered  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord,  leaving  me  for  a 
little  longer  to  travel  alone.  It  may  be  only  for  a  little 
time  that  I  may  have  to  "go  softly  "  before  the  Lord. 
May  the  time,  whether  longer  or  shorter,  be  spent  to 
His  glory,  and  for  the  further  preparation  of  my  soul 
for  a  reunion  with  my  beloved  husband  in  the  com- 
panionship of  that  Saviour,  whom  he  so  faithfully  served 
on  earth,  and  whom  I  trust  we  both  loved.  He  has 
left  me  an  example  which  I  desire  to  follow.  In  him 
the  beatitudes  of  our  Lord  were  remarkably  illustrated. 
The  blessing  on  the  poor  in  spirit ;  on  the  meek ;  on 
them  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness  ;  on  the 
merciful ;  on  the  pure  in  heart,  and  on  the  peace-makers, 
were  eminently  his. 

And  now,  Lord,  what  wait  I  for?  My  hope  is  in 
Thee.  Give  me  to  know  Thy  preserving  care ;  the  up- 
holding of  Thy  fatherly  hand.  Grant  that  this  affliction 
may  be  for  the  furthering  of  Thy  blessed  designs  con- 
cerning me,  by  making  me  more  and  more  meet  for  the 
heavenly  inheritance. 


1876.]  CORRESPONDENCE.  225 

{To  Martha  Braithwaite.} 

143,  HIGHBURY  NEW  PARK, 

24/A  of  Second  Month,  1876. 

.  .  .  I  hope,  after  a  little  while,  if  it  pleases  the 
Lord  to  spare  me,  to  continue  my  interest  in  the  work 
in  France,  and  to  give  to  it  the  strength  bestowed.  It 
is  the  desire  of  my  heart  to  work  while  it  is  day  ;  and 
though  now  it  must  be  with  much  less  vigour,  yet  may 
it  be  with  an  increasing  desire  to  do  all  as  unto  the 
Lord. 

From  her  Journal : 

Fourth  Month,  %th,  1876.— On  the  last  day  of  the 
Third  Month  I  returned  to  this  now  very  changed  home, 
after  nearly  eleven  weeks'  absence.  Much  did  I  shrink 
from  the  effort,  but,  as  so  often  before,  the  Lord  has 
been  better  to  me  than  all  my  fears.  A  return  to  all  the 
familiar  scenes  of  so  large  a  part  of  our  most  happy 
union,  has  been  inexpressibly  touching  ;  and  many  are 
the  tears  which  I  have  shed  at  the  remembrance  of  a 
past  which  can  never  be  recalled,  and  at  the  view  of  a 
future,  in  which  I  shall  be  henceforth  deprived  of  the 
loving  companionship  which  was  so  precious,  and  so 
helpful  and  strengthening  to  me.  Yet  I  have  thankfully 
to  record  that  strength  has  been  given,  and  I  desire  to 
bless  the  Lord  for  this  one  more  precious  proof  of  His 
love. 

{To  Martha  Braithwaite.~) 
74,  CLISSOLD  ROAD, 

Fourth  Month,  i2th,  1876. 

.  .  .  I  am  quite  sure  of  thy  love  and  that  of  thy 
dear  husband,  and  it  comforts  me  to  know  that  you  feel 


226      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1876. 

and  pray  for  me.  I  have  spent  a  touching  and  sorrowful 
week,  though  not  without  a  peaceful  sense'  of  the  un- 
bounded mercy  of  my  Saviour,  who,  with  all  my  un- 
worthiness,  does  condescend  to  uphold  me  and  to  sur- 
round me  with  blessings. 

(To  Robert  Also/ 's  Sister,  Christiana  Alsop.} 
74,  CLISSOLD  ROAD, 

Fifth  Month,  4//fc,  1876. 

I  turned  from  the  window  as  I  saw  your  cab  drive 
off,  sad  and  sorrowful  as  I  afresh  felt  that  I  was  indeed 
the  lone  possessor  of  this  comfortable  home,  made  so 
happy  by  the  presence  of  the  loved  one  who  never  liked 
anything  better  than  to  enjoy  it  with  me — always  satis- 
fied and  pleased  with  the  modest  enjoyments  it  afforded. 
My  heart  seemed  to  sink  within  me  at  the  thought  that 
this  happiness  could  be  mine  no  longer.  But  then 
came  the  sweet  sense  of  his  happiness,  and  also  of  the 
good  hope  through  grace  which  is  still  an  anchor  to  the 
soul.  The  re-union  in  Heaven  is  a  precious  reality. 
May  our  faith  be  such  as  to  grasp  it,  in  its  fulness  of 
blessing. 

From  her  Journal : 

Seventh  Month,  iith,  1876. — Pour  out,  O  Lord,  of 
Thy  Spirit  into  my  heart  that  I  may  know  more  of 
that  communion  which  is  with  Thee,  the  Father,  and 
with  Thy  Son  Jesus  Christ.  In  this  there  is  sweet 
fellowship  with  all  who  are  Thine,  both  in  heaven  and 
on  earth,  in  which  I  may  still  be  permitted  to  hold 
communion  with  my  beloved  one,  in  Thee  the  centre 
of  all  our  joy  and  peace,  through  Jesus  the  Mediator 


1876.]  CORRESPONDENCE.  227 

of  the  New  Covenant  by  the  Eternal  Spirit.  Trem- 
blingly, Lord  Jesus,  I  would  say,  "I  give  myself  to 
Thee  :  and  if  Thou  hast  yet  any  little  service  for  me  in 
my  declining  years,  give  me  strength  to  do  it." 

(To  Mary  Milner.} 

LlNETHWAITE,  CUMBERLAND, 

Eighth  Month,  26th,  1876. 

I  left  you  all  yesterday  with  a  heavy  heart,  and  a 
warm  sense  of  all  your  kindness.  The  afternoon  was 
bright,  and  the  mountains  beautiful ;  the  ai.r  pleasant 
and  bracing,  so  that  with  a  feeling  of  returning  health 
after  my  indisposition  I  went  on  comfortably,  though 
under  a  touching  remembrance  of  the  last  time,  and 
others  too,  that  I  had  gone  through  those  scenes.  May 
the  hope  of  enjoying  brighter  and  more  enduring  scenes 
with  the  loved  one  who  has  already  reached  them,  sus- 
tain me  from  day  to  day.  Thankfully  would  I 
acknowledge  that  it  has  been  so  hitherto ;  and  even 
this  morning,  when  sitting  in  this  room  and  feeling 
sweetly  sustained  and  almost  wondering  at  it,  I  seemed 
to  hear  a  voice  saying,  "It  is  I,  even  I,  who  comforteth 
thee." 

(  To  Martha  Braithwaite. ) 

LlNETHWAITE, 

Ninth  Month,  znd,  1876. 

It  is  indeed  cause  for  thankfulness  that  your  two  dear 
ones  got  thus  safely  over  the  ocean,  and  may  we  not 
now  believe  that  thy  dear  husband,  in  America,  will  be 
helped  from  day  to  day  in  his  labour  of  love.  Our 
journeyings  together  have  so  identified  me  with  you  and 


228       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M,  ALSOP.     [1876. 

the  remembrance  of  the  close  intimacy  of  my  beloved 
Robert  with  thy  husband,  as  well  as  our  journey  with 
you,  in  which  he  was  so  deeply  interested,  having  been 
his  last  religious  engagement,  all  makes  me  feel  you  and 
your  dear  children  as  very  closely  connected  with  my 
tenderest  feelings. 

(To  the  same.) 

WISBECH,  Ninth  Month,  26th,  1876. 
Indeed  I  can  say,  "  Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped 
me,"  and  I  desire  that  even  through  the  cloud  which 
has  been  permitted,  my  little  light  may  be  kept  burning, 
so  that  a  brother  or  a  sister  may  here  and  there  be 
enabled  to  put  on  fresh  strength  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord. 

From  her  Journal: 

Twelfth  Month,  2$th,  1876. — Many  are  the  proofs  of 
loving  interest  from  my  numerous  friends  which  I 
might  record,  for  which  my  heart  overflows  with 
gratitude  to  them  and  to  Him  who  has  put  it  into 
their  hearts  to  love  me  and  to  try  to  comfort  me. 
One  sweet  token  which  came  this  morning  I  must 
•notice.  It  is  from  dear  Ellen  Clare  Pearson;  a  little 
bouquet  of  ferns  and  flowers,  from  Palestine :  from 
Bethlehem,  Sidon,  Jerusalem  and  Lebanon,  with  the 
reference  to  Rev.  xxii.  3,  4,  "And  there  shall  be 
no  more  curse ;  but  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the 
Lamb  shall  be  in  it,  and  His  servants  shall  serve 
Him,  and  they  shall  see  His  face,  and  His  name  shall 
be  in  their  foreheads.  And  there  shall  be  no  night 
there,  and  they  need  no  candle ;  neither  light  of  the 


1877-]  JOURNAL.  229 

sun ;  for  the  Lord  God  giveth  them  light,  and  they 
shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever."  Sweet  and  precious 
thought ! 

Ninth  Month,  i$fh,  1877. — .  .  .  Truly  the  proofs  of 
my  Heavenly  Father's  love,  manifested  many  ways  by 
putting  it  into  the  hearts  of  my  friends  to  sympathize 
most  lovingly  with  me,  have  not  been  wanting ,  and  my 
heart  overflows  with  gratitude  to  Him  from  whom  every 
good  comes.  ...  So  many  circumstances  remind 
me  of  what  I  have  lost,  and  open  a  wound  which  is  not 
healed ;  and,  indeed,  which  I  do  not  wish  to  be  healed, 
except  by  the  touch  of  that  Saviour  who  alone  can  bring 
the  poor  afflicted  soul  into  acquiescence  to  the  Divine 
will  and  keep  it  from  murmuring,  and,  more  than  this, 
who  is  ever  ready  to  pour  into  the  soul  the  consolations 
of  that  hope  which  entereth  into  that  which  is  within 
the  veil.  .  .  . 

After  our  Yearly  Meeting,  but  little  of  which  I  was 
able  to  attend,  my  dear  sister  Lydie  came  to  see  me. 
We  had  not  met  before  since  my  great  loss;  it  was 
touching  to  be  thus  brought  together,  and  she  deeply 
shares  in  my  sorrow.  She  has  been  with  me  now  for 
more  than  three  months,  and  is  wishing  to  return 
to  her  home  and  friends.  I  shrink  from  this  parting, 
which  may  be  a  final  one  for  this  world  ;  and  she  is  the 
dearest  relative  I  now  have.  I  should  like  to  keep  her 
with  me,  but  she  cannot  give  up  her  home,  and  I 
cannot  feel  it  right  to  give  up  mine ;  and  as  we  each 
believe  that  it  is  the  Lord  who  has  set  the  bounds  of 
our  habitations,  it  is  the  safest  for  us  both  at  present 
to  abide  where  we  are,  endeavouring  to  fill  up  the 
measure  of  service  for  our  Lord,  if  indeed  He  will  con- 


230      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1877. 

descend  to  use  us.  We  together  paid  some  visits  to  our 
relatives  and  friends,  and  on  our  return  home  found  that 
our  dear  friend,  J.  B.  Braithwaite,  was  visiting  the 
families  in  our  meeting.  On  Sixth-day  he  paid  us  a 
very  sweet  and  encouraging  visit,  reminding  us  both 
of  all  the  promises  contained  in  the  thirteenth,  four- 
teenth and  fifteenth  chapters  of  John  as  being  just  meant 
for  such  as  we.  I  could  but  marvel  at  the  thought  of 
so  much  being  for  me ;  but  remembering  that  it  is  not 
that  we  loved  God,  but  that  He  loved  us,  and  that  all 
these  things  are  a  free  and  unmerited  gift,  I  find  a  door 
of  hope. 

A  little  later— Tenth  Month,  4th,  1877— she 
writes : 

"  I  must  most  gratefully  acknowledge  the  favour 
I  have  felt  it  to  have  my  dear  sister  so  long  with 
me.  Her  cheerful,  loving  spirit,  her  love  to  her 
Saviour  and  to  all  men,  especially  to  those  of  the 
household  of  faith,  have  been  helpful  and  encouraging 
to  me." 

(To  Mary  Milner.'} 

74,  CLISSOLD  ROAD, 

Twelfth  Month,  \st,  1877. 

Thy  little  note  of  loving  sympathy  is  very  acceptable, 
and  I  wish  to  lose  no  time  in  sending  thee  a  line,  to 
tell  thee,  that  although  I  am  passing  through  deep 
waters,  I  am  not  overwhelmed,  but  am  kept  calm  and 
trustful — calm  in  being  able  to  look  at  the  uninter- 
rupted happiness  of  our  beloved  one — and  trustful 
that  ere  long  I  may,  through  unmerited  and  unbounded 


1878.]  JOURNAL.  231 

mercy,  be  permitted  to  be  reunited  to  him,  never  more 
to  part.  Still  we  must  feel  that  here  we  see  through  a 
glass  darkly,  and  that  as  long  as  this  separation  lasts,  the 
blank  must  be  keenly  felt.  Last  night  was  passed  with 
very  little  sleep.  I  thought  in  the  night  of  the  passage, 
"  He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep,"  and  asked  for  this  proof 
of  my  dear  Saviour's  love  to  me.  I  like  to  think,  as  I 
write,  that  it  was  given,  for  I  felt  refreshed,  and,  after 
several  hours'  refreshing  sleep,  got  up  better  perhaps 
than  for  some  time. 

From  her  Journal : 

First  Month,  i3///,  1878. — Two  years  have  elapsed 
since  I  was  left  to  tread  the  journey  of  life  alone — as 
to  outward  companionship — and  for  the  past  few 
weeks  I  have  had  to  pass  through  serious  indisposi- 
tion, when  my  great  loss  has  been  all  the  more  felt — 
the  loss  of  one  so  untiringly  kind  on  such  occasions. 
But  this  calling  off  from  the  usual  duties  of  my  quiet 
life  has  given  me  the  opportunity  of  dwelling  much 
on  the  happiness  of  my  beloved  departed  one,  and  of 
stirring  myself  up,  to  lay  hold  on  the  consolations  of 
the  Gospel,  as  it  regards  my  own  soul,  that  in  the  end 
I  may  be  united  with  him  in  the  abodes  of  blessedness. 
Many  have  been  the  humiliations  I  have  had  to  pass 
through  as,  in  the  stillness  of  my  chamber,  the  different 
periods  of  my  life  have  been  unfolded  before  me ;  the 
sins,  the  temptations,  the  dangers,  the  omissions,  the 
deceitfulness  of  the  heart,  the  pride,  the  carelessness 
and  indifference,  on  the  one  hand ;  and  on  the  other, 
the  wonderful  preservation,  the  unutterable  conde- 
scension, the  forgiving  mercy  of  my  God — who  in 


232      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1878. 

Christ  hath  reconciled  me  unto  himself,  and  hath  been 
willing  to  accept  the  poor  returning  prodigal  who  has 
remembered  the  Father's  house.  Amidst  all  this 
humiliation  He  has  been  pleased  to  grant  a  fresh  sense 
of  His  mercy,  and  has  at  times  made  my  poor  heart 
overflow  with  gratitude  for  the  outward  blessings  which, 
from  early  life  to  the  present  time,  have  been  so  largely 
bestowed  and  now  so  tenderly  continued  that  on  look- 
ing around  me  I  can  acknowledge  that  every  outward 
want  is  supplied.  As  I  look  back  on  that  period  of 
my  life  which  has  been  the  happiest,  I  can  rejoice  and 
give  thanks  for  having  been  permitted  for  the  space 
of  about  thirty  years  to  enjoy  the  companionship  and 
the  help  of  one  so  pure,  so  devoted,  and  so  heavenly, 
whose  example  had  so  elevating  an  effect.  The  Lord 
grant  me  His  all-sufficient  grace  that  this  example  may 
still  be  acting  upon  me,  that  so  he  being  dead  may  yet 
speak. 

In  reflecting  upon  his  character  and  on  that  of  some 
others  whom  I  have  known  and  loved,  who  have  been 
prominent  in  their  labour  for  their  Lord,  I  have  thought 
that  true  religion  consists  more  in  the  condition  of  the 
soul  than  in  devoted  Christian  labour.  It  is  true 
that  from  a  heavenly  condition  of  soul  good  works 
must  flow,  but  good  works  may  be  performed  without 
this  heavenly  condition ;  so  we  have  to  pray  for  the 
fresh  and  repeated  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  by  His  grace  we  may  be  enabled  to  use  all  the 
gifts  bestowed  in  a  manner  which  may  be  pleasing 
to  our  dear  Lord,  and  promotive  of  His  glory.  I 
am  persuaded  that  it  is  when  the  actions  have  become 
the  natural  outflow  of  the  new  nature  that  they  have  a 


1878.]  JOURNAL.  233 

leavening  influence  on  those  around  —  au  influence 
which  is  real,  though  often  unperceived  by  those  who 
exert  it.  Hence  the  necessity  of  what,  alas  !  in  a  long 
life  of  much  activity  I  have  been  deficient  in,  of  seek- 
ing more  earnestly  to  be  rather  than  to  do.  I  write  this 
fully  believing  that  the  doing  will  follow  the  being,  and 
that  most  effectively,  and  in  a  deep  sense  that  we  are 
indeed  unprofitable  servants,  if  servants  at  all,  and  that 
our  only  rest  is  in  the  mercy  of  our  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 
These  days  of  most  touching  reminiscences  have  been 
additionally  saddened  by  serious  accounts  respecting 
the  health  of  my  dear  sister  Lydie  Majolier.  I  am  still 
anxious,  and  ask  the  Lord,  if  it  be  His  will,  to  spare 
me  from  the  trial  of  losing  her  ;  but  His  will  be  done. 
I  know  she  is  ready  and  willing  to  go,  but  to  me  it 
would  be  like  drinking  the  cup  of  bereavement  to  the 
very  dregs. 


(To  Christiana 

Sixth  Month,  i<)th,  1878. 

.  .  .  Though  I  have  said  I  was  alone,  it  was 
not  to  complain,  for  I  need  to  be  alone  sometimes, 
and  a  few  days'  quiet  will  help  me  rather  than  other- 
wise. Still  there  is  that  one  place  which  no  created 
being  can  ever  occupy,  either  in  the  house  or  in  my 
heart,  the  daily  and  hourly  privation  which  causes 
many  a  heartache,  and  the  starting  of  the  ready  tear. 
With  all  this  there  is  the  underlying  peace  arising 
from  the  full  assurance  of  his  happiness,  and  I  trust 
also  of  my  own  acceptance  in  the  Beloved  ;  which 
does  tend  to  keep  the  heart  and  mind  through  Jesus 
Christ. 
P 


234      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1878. 

From  her  Journal : 

Ninth  Month,  zith,  1878. — A  few  days  since  I 
returned  from  a  visit  of  two  weeks  to  my  dear 
friend,  Daniel  Pryor  Hack  and  his  daughters,  where  I 
have  enjoyed  in  a  large  degree  the  comfort  of  love  and 
been  animated  and  helped  by  witnessing  the  gracious 
help  granted  to  dear  D.  P.  Hack,  and  his  quiet  and 
even  cheerful  submission  to  his  great  bereavement. 
May  I  not  only  take  comfort  in  this,  but  also  endeavour 
to  follow  the  prayerful  example  of  this  dear  aged 
friend,  who,  after  fifty-nine  years  of  the  closest  union,  is 
the  one  left,  while  the  other  is  taken  to  her  heavenly 
home  to  await  his  coming,  which  cannot  be  very  far 
distant. 

(To  Martha  Braithwaite.*) 

STAINES,  Tenth  Month,  i6tk,  1878. 
There  are  times  of  unwonted  pressure  to  be  passed 
through,  when  we  stand  peculiarly  in  need  of  the  calm- 
ing influence  of  our  Heavenly  Father's  love,  giving  us 
to  feel  that  as  we  abide  in  the  faith  of  our  Lord,  and  in 
His  love,  all  things  shall  work  together  for  our  good. 
This  is  sometimes  a  hard  lesson  to  learn. 

(To  Christiana  Alsop.} 

First  Month,  $th,  1879. 

I  believe  this  is  my  first  letter  to  thee  in  this  new 
year,  and  these  dates  one  after  the  other  are  marked 
by  very  touching  recollections ;  I  could  but  feel  at 
meeting  this  morning  that  this  day  three  years  ago 
my  dear  husband  sat  for  the  last  time  by  my  side. 
Now  he  has  reached  and  enjoyed  during  those  three 


1 879.]  CORRESPONDENCE.  235 

years  his  place  in  the  Church  above.  Oh  !  may  it  be 
mine  to  be  reunited  to  him  when  the  Lord  sees  meet. 
In  the  meantime  to  feel  that  we  are  united  in  the  one 
Lord,  is  the  great  bond  of  union  which  is  not  severed 
by  time. 

Christine  M.  Alsop's  love  for  children  was  very 
great.  Instead  of  abating,  it  seemed  to  deepen  and 
brighten  with  advancing  years.  The  following  is 
addressed  to  one  of  her  nephews : 

CLISSOLD  ROAD,  First  Month,  $th,  1879. 
I  have  been  very  glad  to  hear  that  you  all  liked  my 
cards,  and  to  think  of  you  all  at  home  together,  enjoy- 
ing your  holidays.  I  am  sure  you  have  been  happy 
together,  if,  as  I  hope  is  the  case,  you  are  all  endeavour- 
ing to  follow  that  Saviour  who  has  loved  you  and  given 
Himself  for  you.  Even  children  can  say,  "We  love 
Him  because  He  first  loved  us;"  and  from  this  love 
will  proceed  our  desires  to  please  Him,  and  all  our  hap- 
piness here  and  hereafter. 

(T0  Christiana  Alsop.) 

Second  Month,  2nd,  1879. 

We  are,  many  of  us,  among  the  weak  of  the  flock  in 
some  respects ;  may  we  be  of  the  strong  in  faith — for 
then  our  strength  will  be  of  that  nature  which  is  truly 
strength  in  weakness ;  for  our  Saviour  is  a  very  present 
help  in  every  needful  time.  I  cannot  dwell  on  the  con- 
tents of  thy  note,  which  are  all  acceptable.  It  is  a 
precious  experience  to  have  nothing  to  do  but  cheerfully 
to  make  ready  for  the  last  journey — the  end  whereof  is 
joy  and  peace  for  evermore. 


236    MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSOP.     [1879. 

From  her  Journal: 

First  Month,  i2//t,  1879. — I  have  just  passed  anothei 
anniversary  of  widowhood.  Yesterday  three  years  my 
dearest  earthly  treasure  was  taken  from  me.  The 
time  seems  long  to  have  had  to  walk  alone,  after  nearly 
thirty  years  of  the  closest  union.  Everything  is  sc 
fresh  before  me,  and  the  sense  of  loss  so  keen,  that 
I  can  scarcely  imagine  the  time  has  been  so  long. 
Were  I  to  note  all  the  proofs  of  continued  unmerited 
regard  from  my  Heavenly  Father,  even  since  my  last 
entry  in  this  book,  I  might  fill  many  pages;  and  how 
many  more,  were  I  to  trace  the  many  failures  in  com- 
mission as  well  as  in  omission.  Oh !  the  constant 
need  of  undeserved  mercy.  I  have  so  often  to  deplore 
a  want  of  gratitude,  the  absence  of  a  full  apprecia- 
tion of  the  blessed  consolations  of  the  Gospel,  the 
sense  of  sin  and  of  shortcoming,  that  at  times  it  seems 
to  shut  out  "  the  good  hope  through  grace  .• "  that  in- 
exhaustible grace  of  which  dear  Rachel  Forster  used 
to  speak.  Oh !  for  a  fuller  unquestioning  acceptance 
of  that  mercy  through  which  our  sins  are  blotted  out 
and  removed  "as  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west." 
It  is  one  thing  to  believe  this,  as  an  abstract  truth, 
as  an  unquestioned  fact ;  and  it  is  another  thing  to 
know  it  for  ourselves,  and  to  say :  "  My  Redeemer  is 
mine  and  I  am  His:"  and  yet  at  times,  when  I  consider 
the  way  in  which  I  have  been  led  hitherto,  I  feel  that  I 
ought  not  only  to  trust  and  not  to  be  afraid,  but  to 
rejoice  in  the  Lord's  mercy,  with  a  sure  and  certain 
hope.  May  the  increase  of  this  assurance,  with  the  love 
consequent  upon  it,  be  my  experience  to  the  purifying 
of  my  heart  from  all  that  is  displeasing  in  my  Re- 


1879-]  NEARING  HOME.  237 

deemer's  sight,  that  I  may  indeed  be  fitted,  even  here, 
for  that  communion  with  my  Lord  which  is  the  portion 
of  the  believer. 

How  soon  were  these  aspirations  to  be  fulfilled. 
Early  in  the  Second  Month,  1879,  Christine  M. 
Alsop  had  a  serious  attack  of  influenza  and  erysip- 
elas, which  confined  her  to  her  bed  for  several  days, 
and  to  the  house  for  some  time  afterwards.  As  the 
end  drew  near,  she  was  more  evidently  breathing, 
the  atmosphere  of  heaven,  delighting  especially  to 
dwell  on  the  love  of  Christ  in  His  atoning  sacrifice 
for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world. 

During  the  period  of  her  widowhood,  Christine 
M.  Alsop  did  not  feel  called  to  engage  in  much  ex- 
tensive religious  service  ;  but  she  continued  dili- 
gently to  attend  meetings,  as  far  as  health  permitted, 
and  man}'  of  her  friends  can  look  back  with  comfort 
to  her  sweet  and  acceptable  ministrations  at  these 
times,  as  well  as  to  the  enjoyment  they  had  in  her 
animated  social  companionship. 

The  Yearly  Meeting  occurred  only  a  fortnight 
before  her  decease.  She  attended  every  sitting, 
and  three  large  public  meetings  ;  and  it  was  several 
times  noticed  how  remarkably  bright  were  her 
communications.  Once  she  spoke  very  feelingly 
about  France,  and  several  times  she  addressed  her 
younger  friends.  On  one  occasion  she  quoted  the 
words  of  a  noted  servant  of  the  Lord,  that  "  when 
he  was  first  convinced  of  what  the  Lord  had  done 
for  him,  it  was  not  so  much  a  question  with  him  to 


238      MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  ALSO  P.     [1879. 

know  how  much  the  Lord  required  of  him,  but  how 
much  he  would  permit  him  to  do,"  adding,  "  We 
are  here  to  be  useful  one  to  another ;  but  after  all, 
our  usefulness  consists  more  in  what  we  are  than  in 
what  we  do,  and  if  we  are  watchful  for  the  oppor- 
tunity, the  Lord  will  give  us  something  to  do  for 
Him." 

Her  sister,  Lydie  Majolier,  and  her  two  sisters- 
in-law  were  with  her  during  the  Yearly  Meeting. 
It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  them  to  be  together 
once  more, — a  pleasure  which  they  had  not  en- 
joyed since  Christine  M.  Alsop  had  been  left  a 
widow. 

The  evening  which  they  all  spent  with  J.  B.  and 
M.  Braithwaite,  at  the  close  of  the  Yearly  Meeting, 
is  amongst  the  hallowed  recollections  of  the  past. 
Christine  M.  Alsop  was,  as  usual,  bright  and  inter- 
esting. She  brought  for  them  a  copy  of  the  little 
memoir  of  her  late  husband,  which  she  had  just 
completed ;  in  the  compilation  of  which,  she  said, 
she  had  seemed  to  live  the  past  over  again,  enjoy- 
ing, as  it  were,  sweet  communion  of  spirit  with  this 
beloved  one. 

Soon  after  this,  her  sister  Lydie  Majolier  and 
Anna  Vally  being  with  her,  they  spent  a  few  days 
very  pleasantly  with  her  dear  friend,  Rebecca 
Pryor,  at  Reigate.  Thence  they  went  to  Welling- 
ham,  near  Lewes,  to  visit  Rachel  Rickman  and 
her  sister.  Christine  M.  Alsop  was  a  good  deal 
exhausted  by  the  journey,  but  on  First-day,  the 


1879.]  ILLNESS  AND  DEATH.  239 

1 5th  of  Sixth  Month,  attended  Lewes  Meeting, 
when  both  the  sisters  were  acceptably  engaged  in 
ministerial  service. 

Feeling  afterwards  weary,  and  "  wanting  rest," 
she  was  conveyed  back  to  Wellingham,  where  she 
had  a  brief  and  almost  painless  illness,  during  which 
she  was  enabled  to  rest  with  humble  and  confiding 
trust  in  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 

On  one  occasion  her  sister  said  to  her,  "  Thou 
art  going  to  thy  beloved,"  when  the  reply  was — 
"  Yes  !  Jesus  is  my  Beloved ;  "  and,  again,  "  I  am 
my  Beloved's,  and  my  Beloved  is  mine ;  I  am  going 
to  my  Beloved."  After  an  interval — "  I  am  the 
Good  Shepherd ;  the  Good  Shepherd  giveth  His 
life  for  the  sheep."  .  .  .  "I  know  my  sheep, 
and  am  known  of  mine."  "  I  give  unto  them 
eternal  life,"  adding — "And  that  life  is  in  His 
Son." 

Near  the  close,  her  sister  remarked,  "  I  believe 
tliou  art  happy,  and  that  He  whom  thou  hast  loved 
is  near  thee."  "  Yes,"  she  rejoined,  "  I  feel  it,  and 
I  can  say,  '  I  am  my  Beloved's,  and  my  Beloved  is 
mine. ' '  Then,  with-  a  heavenly  smile,  she  ex- 
claimed three  times,  "  I  am  on  the  banks  of  deliver- 
ance," adding — "  How  sweet ;  I  am  so  happy." 
Her  end  was  peace. 

She  died  at  Wellingham,  on  the  igth  of  Sixth 
Month,  1879  I  aged  seventy -five  years.  Her  funeral 
was  largely  attended,  and  it  was  remarked  as  an 
interesting  coincidence,  that  all  the  members  of  her 


240       MEMORIALS  OF  CHRISTINE  M.  AL^OP.    [1879. 

own  family  of  the  name  of  Majolier  were  present. 
Her  remains  rest  in  the  Friends'  Burial-ground  at 
Stoke  Newington,  in  the  same  grave  with  her  be- 
loved husband,  and  near  the  last  earthly  resting- 
place  of  her  long-loved  friend  William  Allen. 

The  friend  at  whose  house  her  decease  took  place 
remarked  that  she  seemed  to  have  been  brought 
thither  to  show  them  how  a  Christian  could  die. 
May  we  not  add,  in  the  retrospect  of  her  course, 
the  tribute  of  thanksgiving  to  Him  under  whose 
loving  guidance  she  was  led  to  make  England  her 
adopted  country,  and  by  whose  grace  alone  she  was 
enabled  to  give  us  so  bright  an  example  of  how  a 
Christian  should  live. 


APPENDIX. 


THE   RESTORED   PRIZE-MONEY  AND 
WHAT  CAME  OF  IT. 


IN  the  struggle  of  the  American  colonies  for  inde- 
pendence, in  1776,  they  received  sympathy  and  aid  from 
France.  This  produced  a  war  between  France  and 
Great  Britain. 

There  was  at  that  time  living  at  Falmouth,  in  Corn- 
wall, a  surgeon  named  Joseph  Fox,  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  who,  both  by  education  and  con- 
viction, regarded  War,  in  every  shape,  as  forbidden  by 
the  precepts  of  the  Gospel.  He  was  part  owner  of  the 
Greyhound  and  the  Brilliant,  two  luggers  or  cutters 
which  traded  along  the  Cornish  coast. 

It  was  then  the  barbarous  practice  for  the  owners  of 
such  vessels,  in  time  of  war,  to  arm  their  ships  and  take 
out  Letters  of  Marque,  giving  them  license  to  waylay 
and  capture  the  merchant-vessels  of  the  enemy.  In  no 
part  of  England  was  this  practice  more  general  than  in 
the  south-western  counties ;  and  the  other  owners  of  the 
two  luggers  proposed  to  fit  them  out  for  this  purpose. 
Joseph  Fox  of  course  objected,  and  remonstrated  stren- 
uously with  his  partners  on  the  injustice  of  such  an  act. 
Being  one  alone,  however,  his  protest  was  disregarded ; 

(240 


242  APPENDIX. 


the  vessels  were  armed  ;  and  the  partners  refused  at  the 
same  time  either  to  purchase  his  share  or  to  allow  him 
to  dispose  of  it  to  any  other.  All  he  could  do  was  to 
declare  that  he  would  never  be  a  partaker  in  gains  so 
acquired. 

The  war  broke  out  so  unexpectedly  that  many  French 
craft  fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  English  cruisers ;  and  the 
Greyhound  and  Brilliant  succeeded  in  capturing  two 
valuable  merchantmen,  r Aimable  Fran^aise  and  r As- 
surance, together  with  some  small  coasting  vessels. 
Joseph  Fox's  partners,  taking  advantage  of  his  declara- 
tion, made  a  great  effort  to  retain  all  the  profit  of 
the  adventure  for  themselves ;  but  he  believed  it  to  be 
his  Christian  duty  to  claim  his  share  and  hold  it  in 
trust  to  be,  when  occasion  should  permit,  restored  to 
the  rightful  owners ;  and  with  much  difficulty  he  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  from  them  a  sum  of  money,  which 
he  placed  at  interest  in  the  public  funds.  This  was 
in  1778. 

In  1783  peace  was  restored;  and  the  next  year,  a 
delay  having  occurred  from  the  refusal  for  a  time  of 
the  partners  to  give  up  the  bills  of  lading,  Joseph  Fox 
sent  his  son,  Dr.  Edward  Long  Fox,  to  Paris,  to  adver- 
tise for  the  owners  of  the  plundered  property.  A 
proceeding  so  unheard  of  was  naturally  looked  upon 
with  suspicion  ;  and  before  the  doctor  could  obtain 
leave  to  insert  his  advertisement  in  the  Gazette  de 
France,  he  had  to  communicate  with  the  Count  de 
Vergennes,  one  of  the  French  ministry,  who  required 
a  formal  declaration  that  his  real  object  was  such  as 
he  professed  it  to  be,  and  who  added  a  threat  of  severe 
punishment  in  case  of  deception.  Joseph  Fox  died 


243 


of  pleurisy,  after  a  short  illness,  a  few  days  after  the 
appearance  of  the  advertisement. 

In  consequence  of  the  public  notice  thus  given, 
applications  were  made  by  numerous  parties,  as  pro- 
prietors or  insurers  ;  all  the  claims  were  proved  to  be 
well  founded  ;  and  the  chief  part  of  the  money  was 
proportionately  distributed  amongst  the  owners  of  the 
two  merchantmen  arid  their  cargoes.  Those  who  had 
been  sufferers  by  the  capture  of  r  Assurance  made  an 
acknowledgment  through  the  Gazette  of  this  rare  act 
of  restitution,  stating  their  desire  "to  give  the  publicity 
which  it  merits  to  this  trait  of  generosity  and  equity, 
which  does  honour  to  the  Society  of  the  Quakers,  and 
proves  their  attachment  to  the  principles  of  peace  and 
unity  by  which  they  are  distinguished."  It  is  related 
that  this  partial  restoration  of  what  was  looked  upon  as 
irrecoverable,  was  of  especial  value  to  the  widow  of  one 
who  had  died  of  a  broken  heart  in  consequence  of  his 
losses. 

After  restoring  the  proportion  due  to  the  two  prin- 
cipal vessels  (about  ^1,470,  including  expenses),  there 
remained  a  balance  of  £120  on  the  proceeds  of  the 
coasting  vessels,  which  could  not  be  refunded,  the 
owners  being  numerous  and  widely  scattered  in  various 
parts  of  France  and  Holland.  It  was  concluded  to 
appropriate  this  sum  to  the  relief  of  decayed  seamen 
in  the  French  mercantile  service,  but  no  way  could  be 
found  for  doing  this  before  the  year  1793,  when  war 
again  broke  out  between  the  two  countries.  Hostilities 
continued  with  little  interruption  till  1814,  when  Dr. 
Edward  Long  Fox  proceeded  again  to  Paris  and  had 
an  audience  of  Louis  XVIII.,  and  sevt"  il  interviews 


244  APPENDIX. 


with  his  ministers.  Napoleon's  return  from  Elba  the 
next  spring  caused  a  fresh  delay ;  and  it  was  not  till 
1818  that  the  matter  was  finally  settled.  The  money 
(which  had  been  invested  at  compound  interest)  had 
increased  to  £600;  and  this  sum  was  deposited  in  "the 
treasury  of  the  Invalid  Seamen  of  France,"  for  the  re- 
lief of  "  non-combatants  of  the  merchant  service." 

But  this  is  not  the  end  of  the  story. 

What  has  been  related  was  not  the  only  result 
which  followed  from  the  advertisement  of  1784. 
Besides  the  applications  for  the  restored  property, 
Dr.  Fox  received  at  the  same  time  a  reply  of  a  very 
different  and  unexpected  character.  It  was  a  letter 
with  this  address,  "The  Quakers  of  Congenies-Cal- 
visson*  to  the  virtuous  Fox."  The  writers  describe 
themselves  as  a  little  flock  of  about  a  hundred  persons, 
and  express  the  joy  it  had  given  them  to  hear  of  the 
efforts  used  by  the  advertiser  to  fulfil  the  commands 
of  Christ.  They  represent  themselves  as  opposed  to 
war  on  Christian  principle,  and  as  being  in  conse- 
quence an  object  of  hatred  and  contempt  to  their 
fellow-citizens,  both  Protestants  and  Catholics.  Espe- 
cially do  they  condemn  the  wars  engaged  in  by  the 
former  in  previous  ages  to  keep  possession  of  their  re- 
ligious liberties. 

This  letter  led  to  further  correspondence,  and  to  a 
journey  to  London  by  De  Marsillac,  one  of  their 
community.  From  his  account  the  English  Friends 
discovered  to  their  surprise,  that  there  had  existed  in 
the  South  of  France  for  sixty  or  seventy  years  a 

*  A  village  ten  miles  west  of  Nimes  in  the  Department  of  Gard. 


APPENDIX.  245 


Christian  Church,  which,  besides  its  testimony  against 
war,  held  spiritual  views  regarding  worship  and  the 
ministry  identical  with  their  own.  When  inquired 
of  concerning  their  history,  and  how  they  came  to 
entertain  such  views,  the  Congenies  Friends  said  that, 
according  to  the  traditions  preserved  amongst  them, 
they  sprang  out  of  the  Camisards,  or  Protestants  of 
the  Cevennes,  who  from  1702  to  1705,  defended  them- 
selves against  all  the  armies  sent  by  Louis  XIV.  to 
compel  them  to  abjure  their  faith.  How  their  fore- 
fathers came  to  adopt  such  a  manner  of  worship  anu 
such  religious,  views  they  could  not  say ;  only  on  one 
point,  their  testimony  in  regard  to  war,  had  they  pre- 
served any  clue  as  to  the  means  by  which  th^  light  may 
have  come  to  them.  In  the  heat  of  the  fierce  and 
vindictive  struggle  just  mentioned,  in  the  year  1703  an 
epistle,  believe4  to  be  written  by  some  faithful  poitors 
of  Geneva,  was  received  and  circulated  through  the 
Cevennes.*  It  was  an  appeal,  strong  and  warm  with 
Christian  love,  calling  on  their  persecuted  brethren  in 
the  faith  to  cease  from  incendiarism  and  murder,  and  to 
throw  away  the  sword. 

*  The  historian  who  has  preserved  this  letter,  a  Roman 
Catholic,  says  he  received  it  from  a  Protestant  lawyer,  and  that 
it  was  "  originated,  digested  and  issued  by  a  synod  abroad." 
Louvreleuil,  Le  Fanatisme  renouvele.  Avignon,  1 868.  Tom.  i., 
p.  127.  And  when  Stephen  Grellet  was  at  Congenies  in  1807, 
he  was  shown  a  copy  of  it  in  manuscript.  Another  Romanist 
historian  says,  "  The  ministers  at  Geneva  in  their  sermons  loudly 
protested  against  the  massacres  committed  by  the  Camisards." 
De  Brueys,  Hist,  du  Fanatisme  de  notre  temps.  Utrecht,  1737. 
Vol.  i.,  pp.  372,  373. 


246  APPENDIX. 


We  have  only  space  here  for  one  or  two  paragraphs. 

"  Dear  Christian  Brethren,"  so  runs  the  epistle,  "  \ve 
are  grieved  to  hear  that  after  having  begun  in  the  Spirit 
you  should  finish  by  the  flesh,  and  so  expose  yourselves 
to  lose  all  the  fruit  of  your  sufferings.  We  know  the 
violent  measures  which  have  been  used  to  compel  you 
to  attend  mass,  and  to  send  your  children  to  the 
Romanist  schools;  how  soldiers  surround  you  and 
pounce  upon  you,  like  wolves  on  lambs,  when  you 
assemble  in  secret  to  worship  God.  We  know  the 
cruelties  which  are  inflicted  upon  you,  pitilessly,  in- 
cessantly, the  loss  of  your  goods  and  the  maltreatment 
of  your  persons  ;  how  chains,  imprisonment,  torture  and 
the  gibbet  have  at  length  broken  down  your  patience 
and  filled  your  hearts  with  despair  and  rage.  We  con- 
fess that  under  such  protracted  and  bitter  trials  it  is 
hard  to  withstand  the  impulses  of  nature,  which,  in 
spite  of  ourselves,  spring  up  in  the  depths  of  the 
heart,  bidding  us  render  evil  for  evil.  We  pity  and 
sympathize  with  you  in  this  fiery  trial ;  but  you  are 
Christians,  Reformed  Christians !  .  .  .  Perhaps  you 
flatter  yourselves  that  the  disorders  you  commit  will 
rid  you  of  the  evils  which  crowd  upon  you.  Perhaps 
you  imagine  that  those  among  you  who  burn  churches 
and  massacre  priests  in  cold  blood,  are  overthrowing 
superstition  and  idolatry.  Blind  and  mistaken  men ! 
Have  you  forgotten  that  it  is  never  permitted  to  do 
evil  that  good  may  come? — that  you  are  not  now  under 
the  old  law,  by  which  it  was  commanded  to  extermi- 
nate idolators  and  destroy  their  high  places,  but  under 
the  new  commandment  whose  Author  willeth  not  the 
death  of  a  sinner,  but  that  he  should  be  converted  and 


APPENDIX.  247 


live?  It  must  be  the  Lord's  arm,  and  not  yours,  which 
shall  put  an  end  to  your  captivity.  Do  all  you  can  to 
obtain  the  desired  object  by  a  holy  life,  and  not  by  the 
works  of  darkness." 

The  Romish  historian  of  the  times  observes,  that  for 
several  days  after  the  reading  of  this  letter  the  Camisards 
refrained  from  their  accustomed  acts  of  cruelty  and 
reprisal ;  but  no  more  permanent  effect  on  the  body  of 
the  people  appears  to  have  followed. 

Amongst  the  Camisards  were  a  number  of  persons, 
men  and  women,  who  laid  claim  to  the  gift  of  prophecy, 
and  who  were  accustomed  to  stand  up  in  th?  assemblies 
and  declare,  as  if  by  divine  direction,  in  what  \vay 
attack  or  defence  against  the  enemy  was  to  be  made. 
One  of  these,  a  young  woman  named  Lucretia,  excited 
the  jealousy  of  the  leaders  by  the  influence  she  had 
acquired  over  the  people.  They  attempted  to  silence 
her;  she  arose  and  cried,  "Let  those  who  love  me, 
follow  me."  A  crowd  of  admirers  accompanied  her  to 
her  dwelling,  which  became  a  place  for  religious  meet- 
ings. From  this  company,  says  tradition,  the  Friends 
in  Congenies  are  descended.  For  some  years  we  know 
nothing  further  of  their  history.  When  the  veil  begins 
to  lift,  we  see  a  community  of  God-fearing  persons  at 
Fontanes,  Congenies,  St.  Hippolite,  and  other  places  at 
the  foot  of  the  Cevennes,  who  met  in  private  to  perform 
their  simple  manner  of  worship.* 

*  The  writer,  in  1869,  was  shown  at  Fontanes,  in  an  ancient 
house  with  massive  stone  walls,  a  wine-vault  where  the  Friends 
used  to  meet  in  the  earlier  half  of  the  last  century.  A  nick-narne 
was  given  to  them,  indicative  of  their  manner  of  sitting  in  silence 
with  their  heads  bowed  in  worship. 


248  APPENDIX. 


The  Friends  in  this  country  were  warmly  interested 
in  the  sister-church  in  France,  thus  unexpectedly  made 
known  to  them ;  and  the  intercourse  which  was  then 
begun  has  been  sedulously  maintained  ever  since.  The 
soil  of  France,  however,  with  its  revolutions,  conscrip- 
tions, priestcraft,  and  infidelity,  has  not  been  favourable 
to  the  growth  of  simple,  spiritual  Christianity ;  and  it 
is  a  source  of  deep  regret  that  the  Friends  of  Congenies 
are  now  less  numerous  than  they  once  were. — Printed 
by  permission  of  the  Manchester  District  Friends'  Tract 
Association. 


DATE  DUE 


GAYLORD 


"RINTEO  IN  U.S.A. 


A     000  646  734    4 


